A skydiving excursion plane crashed in Missouri, killing 11 passengers and the pilot. The accident happened shortly after the aircraft became airborne.
A private aircraft carrying skydivers went down in the U.S. state of Missouri on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of all 12 people aboard, officials confirmed.
The crash took place near the Butler Memorial Airport β situated approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of Kansas City β soon after the plane departed.
The aircraft was operated by Skydive Kansas City.
"Tragically, all 12 individuals aboard lost their lives in the accident," the skydiving company stated.
The pilot was among those who died in the incident.
What details are known?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the plane as a single-engine Pacific Aerospace P750.
Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, told Reuters that the plane took off at roughly 11:20 a.m. CT (1620 UTC).
It failed to achieve visual altitude and was observed making a sharp left turn before crashing about 300 yards (274 meters) from the runway, near a highway, Jacobs said.
First responders searched the flight path for anyone who may have attempted to jump from the plane as it began to nose-dive, but found no such evidence, Jacobs added.
Probe into Missouri crash is ongoing
The cause of the crash remains unknown at this time.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) β which is leading an investigation into the incident β stated in a release that investigators are scheduled to arrive at the scene on Monday.
A final report on the crash's cause is anticipated to be released within 12 to 24 months, news outlets cited the NTSB as saying.
"For all intents and purposes, (this) appears to be an accident," Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said during a press conference.
Some relatives of the passengers witnessed the crash, Anderson noted.
Footage from the crash site depicted blue and silver metal debris from the wrecked plane scattered on the grass, as a fleet of emergency vehicles responded to the scene.
How much stress can an aircraft withstand?
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Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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