KC-area skydiving plane crashed after takeoff, killing 12. See video of flight path
Animation of the flight path of a small airplane that crashed Sunday at Butler Memorial Airport shows aircraft’s short flight before it crashed, killing 12 people.
The animation, based on data from FlightAware, shows how the plane took off, circled around an area near the runway, and then returned toward its starting point before crashing.
One pilot and 11 skydivers were killed, according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.
The crash happened during takeoff and was reported about 11:27 a.m., Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said in a news conference Sunday afternoon. The plane was a locally-based, 10-person aircraft. The airport is about an hour’s drive south of Kansas City.
The low-wing, single-engine turboprop plane was not able to make it to full power, according to officials with the Bates County Emergency Management Agency. The plane was turning left when it stalled near Interstate 49 Business — a local road that runs between Interstate 49 and the airport.
The Star’s Eleanor Nash and Ben Wheeler contributed.
This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 4:14 PM.
