Missouri governor vows to use ‘all resources’ after fatal Butler plane crash
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe vowed to provide “all resources possible” in response to Sunday’s fatal plane crash that killed 12 people in Butler, Missouri.
“Our hearts go out (to) those who lost loved ones in today’s tragic crash of a skydiving plane near Butler Memorial Airport,” Kehoe, a Republican, said in a statement Sunday evening.
The crash has rattled the city about an hour drive south of Kansas City as state, local and federal officials investigate its cause. The plane crashed while taking off at Butler Memorial Airport and was reported around 11:27 a.m. Sunday. Eleven skydivers and the pilot were killed, county officials said.
Kehoe said Sunday that the Missouri State Highway Patrol was coordinating with local officials at the scene of the crash. The patrol would “assist for as long as its assistance is required,” he said.
Representatives from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, or SEMA, and the agency’s medical assistance team also responded to the crash, Kehoe said. The state agency’s specialized disaster response team, called MO MORT-1, had also been activated at the request of Bates County, the county where Butler is located.
That response team often responds to disasters or incidents with mass fatalities and includes forensics and other specialists who help to identify victims.
In addition to the first responders, Kehoe said that representatives from the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Behavioral Strike Team responded to provide grief counseling to family members of the victims. The Red Cross of Missouri also had a team in the area, he said.
“The State of Missouri will continue to provide all resources possible to assist,” Kehoe said. “Our prayers are with the community and all those working to help.”
