A skydiving plane crashed in a rural Missouri field on Sunday morning, killing all twelve people aboard. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson confirmed the accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. CST shortly after the aircraft departed Butler Memorial Airport, located approximately 60 miles south of Kansas City.
The plane went down in an open field near the airport during what authorities identified as a recreational skydiving operation. All passengers and crew perished in the crash. Officials did not immediately release the identities of those killed or provide details about the aircraft type or potential causes of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board typically investigates general aviation accidents in the United States. Preliminary investigation findings often take weeks or months to complete.
Skydiving accidents remain statistically rare relative to the number of jumps performed annually in the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration regulates skydiving operations and operators must maintain specific certifications and safety protocols. However, accidents involving aircraft carrying skydivers do occur, and when they do, they typically result in multiple fatalities given the nature of the activity.
This crash represents one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Missouri in recent years. Local emergency responders worked the crash scene on Sunday following the incident. The cause of the accident remained under investigation as authorities gathered evidence and conducted interviews with witnesses.