12 dead in plane crash south of Kansas City
Originally Published: 14 JUN 26 13:51 ET
Updated: 14 JUN 26 14:27 ET
By Cindy Von Quednow, CNN
(CNN) — Eleven skydivers and one pilot were killed in a plane crash near an airport in Butler, Missouri, Sunday, authorities said.
The crash occurred near the Butler Memorial Airport, according to a post on X from the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The plane had just taken off around 11:20 a.m. local time, was unable to get visual altitude, made a sharp left turn and crashed about 300 yards from the runway, Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director told CNN.
The single-engine turbo prop is operated by Skydive Kansas City, Jacobs said.
The plane was taking people up to skydive when emergency responders got a call that a plane was down and engulfed in fire, Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing told The Associated Press.
“It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they’re shutting down the roadway just as a precaution,” Ewing told the AP.
The crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, he added. CNN has reached out to the agency for comment.
The victims have not been identified, as families have not been notified of the incident, he added.
“It’s horrible,” Jacobs said of the crash.
The Butler Police Department and the Bates County Sheriff’s Office are also on scene.
Butler is about 65 miles south of Kansas City, Missouri.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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