Pilot, 11 skydivers killed as private plane crashes after takeoff in Missouri

Eleven skydivers and a pilot were killed on Sunday when a private plane crashed shortly after takeoff near Butler Memorial Airport, according to Skydive Kansas City, the aircraft operator.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred about 60 miles (100 km) south of Kansas City, near the airport in Bates County.

“Tragically, all 12 individuals aboard lost their lives in the accident,” the skydiving company said in a statement. The names of the victims will not be released until their next of kin have been notified. The company added that it is cooperating with local authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, said the single-engine turboprop aircraft took off at about 11:20 a.m. Central Time (1620 GMT). It reportedly failed to gain proper altitude, made a sharp left turn, and crashed approximately 300 yards (274 meters) from the runway.

The NTSB identified the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace 750XL.

“This is not a commercial airliner that has crashed; it’s a local airplane that took off from our local airport,” Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said during a news conference. He added that the incident appears to have been an accident.

Anderson also confirmed that family members of some victims witnessed the crash.

Authorities said FAA officials are currently on site, while NTSB investigators are expected to arrive on Monday. A preliminary report will follow, with a final determination on the probable cause of the crash expected within 12 to 24 months.

Multiple local fire departments and coroner’s offices responded after an emergency call was made shortly before 11:30 a.m., officials said. -Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan; Julie Ingwersen and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Writing by Christian Martinez; Editing by Sergio Non, Edmund Klamann and Chizu Nomiyama/Reuters