12 dead after plane full of skydivers CRASHES just after takeoff from Missouri airport
A pilot and 11 skydivers died after a private plane crashed in Butler, Missouri on Sunday morning.
The aircraft crashed just after takeoff at 11.30am, a spokesperson with Bates County Emergency Management told the Daily Mail.
The plane took off from Butler Memorial Airport when it ‘wasn’t able to get enough climb,’ and attempted to make a left turn to land on an adjacent highway, the spokesperson told Daily Mail.
‘The plane wasn’t able to land,’ and it crashed near Business 49 Highway, the spokesperson confirmed.
Eleven victims were skydivers from the company Skydive Kansas City, and the other victim was the pilot. All passengers on the aircraft died.
When contacted by a reporter at the Daily Mail, a representative of Skydive Kansas City emphatically said they ‘can not talk about this right now’ before abruptly ending the call.
Local police, first responders, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are on the scene of the fiery wreckage.
The aircraft crashed just after takeoff at 11.30am, a spokesperson with Bates County Emergency Management told Fox4
A pilot and 11 skydivers died after a private plane crashed in Butler, Missouri on Sunday morning
Aerial view of Butler Memorial Airport aerial
Emergency management officials said all lanes of the highway, stretching a half-mile north and south of the crash site, remain closed.
No timeline for the road reopening has been announced.
The crash site was secured by police tape as local law enforcement is on the scene.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Missouri State Highway Patrol for comment.
Butler, Missouri, is roughly 65 miles south of Kansas City.
Skydive Kansas City is a ‘premier skydiving center’ located in Orange St Butler, Missouri.
The company has been in business since 1998, serving the Kansas City, Topeka, and Overland Park community.
The skydiving center was founded by a father-son duo Chris and John Hall, united by a passion for the adrenaline-fueled sport.
John has skydived since 1973 and ‘witnessed the industry grow from old military round parachutes to today’s modern ram-air canopies,’ according to their website.
He was long regarded as one of the region’s top demonstration jumpers, performing aerial displays across the Kansas City metro area since the early 1970s.
This is a breaking news story.