He came to the U.S. for college. Now friends mourn his death in MO skydiving plane crash
Sai Karthik Varma Datla came to the United States from India to pursue his education.
Online posts show that he went to the University of Central Missouri and became a customer favorite at a Pleasant Valley convenience store where he often was.
On Sunday, the 24-year-old was one of 12 people who boarded a skydiving plane that crashed shortly after takeoff. All 11 skydivers — including Datla — and the pilot were killed.
The UAW Local 249 Consumer Affairs Committee posted about Datla on Facebook Wednesday. Union members knew the young man from going into the Amoco convenience store, the post said. A picture of him now sits on the store counter with the words, “In Loving Memory of Karthik, 2001-2026.”
“Sai was more than a familiar face at Amoco,” the post said. “He was a dedicated student at the University of Central Missouri and also worked at AdventHealth, balancing his commitments with determination and heart. His loss is deeply felt by all who knew him.”
Wrote another customer on social media: “Our family will truly miss walking into the store seeing your bright smile. Rest well.”
Someone who answered the phone at the Amoco store Wednesday morning said those at the store knew Datla as Karthik. Friends describe him as “super kind” and someone who loved living his life to the fullest.
“Anyone who met him was touched by him,” one friend said.
Skydiving flight crashes in Butler
The crash at the Butler Memorial Airport was reported about 11:27 a.m. Sunday. 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. It was turning left when it stalled near Interstate 49 Business — a local road that runs between Interstate 49 and the airport.
Media outlets in India, where Datla was from, have also remembered the young man.
Hyderabad Mail, a digital and hyperlocal news platform based in Hyderabad, India, described the young man in an Instagram post as a “tech professional from Andhra Pradesh.”
The title of that post is, “Dreams Cut Short: AP Youth Dies in Missouri Plane Crash.”
“Friends, family members, and the Telugu community have expressed grief over the loss of a young life with a promising future,” the post said.
Datla graduated with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science on December 14th, 2024, said J. Alex Greenwood, a spokesperson for The University of Central Missouri.
“The University of Central Missouri expresses its deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues,” Greenwood said.
The Bates County coroner released the names of the 12 victims on Tuesday. In addition to Datla, the other victims are: Jen Sharp, Marcus Miller, Matthew Cole Swope, Michael Shanahan, Dustin McKinney, Dane Cordes, Nick Nash, William Fischer, Blake Thacker, Kurt John Roy, and David Hershberger.
Planning a tandem jump
Charles Crinklaw, a seasoned skydiver and central regional director of the United States Parachute Association, said Datla was one of two skydivers planning to do a tandem jump on Sunday.
Crinklaw, who is from Bellevue, Nebraska, and is with Falcon Skydiving in the Kansas City area, said he knew most of the crash victims but not Datla. But he’s heard plenty from those who did. Among those contacting him were customers of the convenience store.
“I have some people that responded to me saying, ‘Yeah, that was the only store that I would go to, because he was always such a helpful, friendly and full-of-life person,” Crinklaw said.
“I’ve heard from the jumpers that are down there that were training him … and I’ve seen many positive comments of what kind of person he was.”
A common theme among the responses, Crinklaw said: “He was always that friendly face I saw every single morning. He was full of life, always had a smile on his face.”
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 1:55 PM.
