On Sunday morning, 12 people died in a plane crash in Butler, Missouri, near Kansas City. There were 11 passengers on board and 1 pilot, and tragically, there were no survivors. The Pacific Aerospace P-750XL skydiving plane departed from the Butler Memorial Airport at 11:35 a.m. local time for an outing organized by the local skydiving company, Skydive Kansas City. The reason for the sudden nosedive and subsequent crash after the plane’s takeoff is still unknown.
Boone County Sheriff Chad Anderson stated that the crash appears to have been an accident. Anderson also confirmed there were many witnesses to the fatal crash, including some of the victims’ family members.
Missouri Rep. Mark Alford, who represents the 4th District, arrived at the scene and said he would push the FAA for answers regarding what happened “in a timely fashion.” He said his two main objectives are to “give the families the support they need” and to “find out exactly what happened.” Alford added, “It is tragic. You can never replace those lives, but we can tell their stories. You can tell their stories.”
Skydive Kansas City commented its condolences by stating the incident was a “devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community. Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost.”
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