BUTLER, Mo. — A sunny afternoon intended for skydiving turned into an absolute tragedy on Sunday, June 14, 2026, when a small private plane crashed into a field shortly after takeoff, killing all 12 people on board.

The victims include 11 skydiving passengers and the pilot. Disturbingly, authorities confirmed that several family members of those on board were at the airport and witnessed the horrific crash firsthand.

The Details of the Crash

The incident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time near the Butler Memorial Airport, located in Bates County, about 65 miles south of Kansas City.

According to Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, the aircraft had just taken off and made a sharp left turn before getting into distress.

"In my opinion, I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose-first and caught fire," Jacobs stated, describing the aftermath at the grassy field adjacent to the airport as "brutal."

Emergency responders rushed to the scene and were able to quickly extinguish the subsequent fire, but there were no survivors. First responders also thoroughly searched the flight path to ensure no divers had attempted to jump from the plane prior to the impact, but found no one.

The Aircraft and Operator

The flight was operated by Skydive Kansas City, a local skydiving company. The aircraft involved was a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, a single-engine turboprop manufactured in 2010.

  • Capacity: The aircraft model is highly popular in the skydiving industry because it can carry up to 17 passengers and is designed to operate seamlessly on short runways.

  • Flight History: Flight tracking data from FlightAware indicated that the plane had already completed two successful short flights earlier that morning, following several successful flights logged on Friday and Saturday.

Ongoing Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have launched a full-scale investigation into the exact cause of the crash.

The local sheriff's office has emphasized to the public that there is no ongoing danger, noting that the incident appears to be a catastrophic accident. Butler Memorial Airport and the adjacent highway were closed to allow federal investigators to process the wreckage. A final report determining the definitive cause of the mechanical failure or stall could take a year or more to be released.