US: 12 killed as skydiving aircraft crashes after takeoff in Missouri
Missouri, June 15
Twelve people were killed after a skydiving aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in the US state of Missouri, authorities said.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), preliminary information indicated that the aircraft involved in the incident was a Pacific Aerospace P750, which crashed while departing Butler Memorial Airport at approximately 11:35 a.m. local time on June 14.
The FAA stated that all 12 people on board the aircraft died in the crash.
"At the time of the crash, the FAA was not providing air traffic control services," the FAA said.
The aviation regulator further informed that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the incident and will provide updates.
Al Jazeera reported, citing Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing, that the aircraft was carrying people for a skydiving operation at the time of the crash.
They were able to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash, he said, describing the scene as "brutal.
"It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they're shutting down the roadway just as a precaution," Ewing said.
The identities of the victims were not immediately released by authorities, Al Jazeera reported.
This is a developing story.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Terrible accident 😢. As an American living in India, I see how safety culture differs. Here, skydiving is less regulated—makes me nervous. Prayers for all.
12 lives lost in an instant... Reminds me of the 2022 Noida skydiving incident where similar warnings were ignored. Our DGCA needs to learn from these tragedies before it happens here again.
Heartbreaking. I used to skydive in Missouri as a student. The aircraft—a Pac 750—is a solid workhorse but can be tricky in hot weather. Investigations will reveal the cause.
So sad 🙏🏽. But seriously, why do we romanticise dangerous sports? In India, we have so many preventable deaths—road accidents, factory fires—yet we focus on Western tragedies. Let's fix our own backyard.
RIP to the skydivers and crew. From an Indian perspective, we often copy Western adventure trends without proper oversight. Hope this leads to stricter regulations globally.
Devastating loss. India's skydiving scene is small, but we have similar risks—especially with old aircraft. DGCA and adventure tourism operators must implement strict maintenance checks. Preventable tragedy.
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