Crash of skydiving plane kills 12 in Butler, Missouri, authorities say
A plane crash at Butler Memorial Airport on Sunday killed 12 people, including a pilot and 11 skydivers, according to Bates County authorities.
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 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.
Video from the scene of the crash shows firefighters near a smoking pile of debris.
The plane, a 2010 Pacific Aerospace LTD 750XL, was registered to a Tennessee company, the Bates County Emergency Management Agency confirmed.
City council member responds
Butler City Council member Scott Mallatt said he was sitting on his front porch Sunday when he heard sirens blaring from the local volunteer fire department.
Mallatt said he first learned of the crash after speaking with someone who saw the news on Facebook. As of Sunday afternoon, he had not heard any official information about the crash from city officials.
“We’re just in prayer for the families of the victims,” he said. “It’s quite a tragedy if what I’m gathering is true.”
What we know
The Bates County Sheriff’s Office shared at 11:52 a.m. that Interstate 49 Business near the airport “is shut down in both directions for an undetermined amount of time.”
A skydiving company, Skydive KC, operates out of the Butler Memorial Airport, an hour’s drive south of downtown Kansas City. Around 2 p.m., a representative for Skydive KC said by phone said they were preparing a news release.
In 2024, a skydiving plane crashed near the Butler Memorial Airport after a skydiver’s parachute deployed over a small plane’s tail, causing damage that sent the aircraft out of control, according to a Federal Aviation Administration report. No one was injured.
People concerned about their loved ones should go to the family notification center established at the Osage Valley Electric Company at the south perimeter of the airport.
This is a developing story. The Star will continue to update this story as we learn more.
This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 1:30 PM.
