What type of airplane crashed in Butler, killing 12? Here’s a close look at the details
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The aircraft was a 2010 Pacific Aerospace 750XL single-engine turboprop.
- The 750XL is powered by a 750-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 engine.
- Pacific Aerospace states the plane can carry up to 10 passengers and 17 skydivers.
Federal investigators have arrived at Butler Memorial Airport to begin examining the plane crash that killed 12 people Sunday morning.
As the National Transportation Safety Board prepares to lead the investigation, here’s a closer look at the aircraft involved: a 2010 Pacific Aerospace 750XL, a single-engine turboprop designed to carry up to 10 people.
The aircraft can take off and land on runways shorter than 800 feet, even while carrying a heavy load.
Pacific Aerospace 750XL
Designed for versatility, the plane can be quickly adapted for a range of uses, including passenger transport, skydiving, medical evacuation, aerial surveying, surveillance and crop spraying.
The aircraft is powered by a 750-horsepower Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 engine. In an interview with The Star, Mary Schiavo, who served as inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1990 to 1996 and previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Kansas City, said the engine should have provided sufficient power.
“That’s not a lawn mower engine,” Schiavo said. “It’s powerful enough for the plane. It shouldn’t have been underpowered with an engine like that.”
According to Pacific Aerospace, the plane features a large cargo door measuring 48.75 inches wide by 45.25 inches high, can carry up to 17 skydivers and has a broad center-of-gravity range that provides a stable platform for jumping.
