A single-engine Pacific Aerospace P750XL turboprop operated by Skydive Kansas City crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri on June 14, 2026, killing all 12 people aboard [1, 2, 3, 4]. The aircraft, carrying 11 skydivers and one pilot, took off shortly before 11:30 a.m. local time but failed to gain visual altitude [2, 4].
According to Bates County emergency management director Dennis Jacobs, the plane made a sudden sharp left turn and then nosedived about 300 yards (roughly 274 meters) from the runway before crashing in a grassy field [2, 3, 4]. Emergency responders arrived around 11:30 a.m. and quickly extinguished the fire [1, 5, 6].
The plane was carrying nine experienced skydivers and two tandem jumpers [3, 7]. No one was found to have jumped from the aircraft before it went down [4]. The flight originated from Butler, roughly 60–65 miles south of Kansas City [8, 2, 4].
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson described the crash as an accident and confirmed some family members witnessed it [3, 4]. He said, "For all intents and purposes, (this) appears to be an accident" [4]. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported all 12 occupants died [1].
Victims included a high school music teacher, a cancer survivor, a new father, and several skydivers close to obtaining instructor certification [7]. Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Butler Police, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, FAA, and NTSB [1, 5, 4, 6].
NTSB investigators arrived the following day to begin their inquiry, with a final report expected in 12 to 24 months [4, 9].
