THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Pilot and 11 skydivers dead after Missouri plane crash, officials say KEY TAKEAWAYS A plane crash in Butler, Missouri, killed 11 skydivers and a pilot. The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport on Sunday. The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the tragic accident. BUTLER, Mo. — A plane carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot crashed moments after takeoff at a western Missouri airport on Sunday, killing everyone aboard, authorities said. The plane had just taken off from Butler Memorial Airport about 11:35 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said, when it was unable to get visual altitude, made a sharp left turn and crashed about 300 yards from the runway, according to Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, but it appears to be an accident, Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. As the plane had just taken off, it had not reached the altitude to report to air traffic control, Jacobs told CNN. Officials canvassed the crash site on foot and by drone to see if anyone was able to jump out of …

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Poor maintenance is often a factor when skydiving planes crash like one did in Missouri on Sunday , and the National Transportation Safety Board has said in past investigations that weak oversight of the skydiving industry can allow problems to go unnoticed. It is far too soon to know what caused this weekend's crash that happened shortly after a plane took off from a small airport about an hour south of Kansas City. Twelve people died in the crash while some of their family members watched from the ground at Butler Memorial Airport. The NTSB will work to determine what happened over the next year or more before publishing its final report on the cause although the agency will release some preliminary details over the next month. Just two years ago, another skydiving plane crashed near the same airport, but in that case everyone aboard was able to parachute to safety beforehand. The NTSB found that the handle for deploying a skydiver's emergency parachute got caught on something and sent him crashing into the plane’s horizontal stabilizer as he jumped, causing the crash. Aviation sa…

Plane on skydiving outing crashes in Missouri leaves 12 dead ... Authorities say 12 people were killed when a plane crashed in Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement that troopers were on the scene, assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office. A plane carrying passengers planning to spend a sunny afternoon skydiving crashed Sunday in Missouri, killing all 12 people aboard, authorities said. The wreckage of a plane crash burns in a field in Butler, Mo, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Mid America News Review via AP Photo ) The wreckage of a plane crash burns in a field in Butler, Mo, Sunday, June 14, 2026. (Mid America News Review via AP Photo ) Emergency personnel investigate the site of a plane crash at the Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Mo., Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) A Bates County Sheriff’s Deputy mans a roadblock outside the scene of a plane crash at Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Mo., Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing talks to the media about the plane crash at Butler Memorial Airport, in Butler, Mo., Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo…

Officials probe fatal crash of skydiving plane | Local News ... Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... From staff, AP reports MOUNT VERNON, Mo. — Federal investigators were on the scene Sunday after a small plane crashed, killing two skydivers and seriously injuring their pilot, authorities said. Marnie Fuller, 36, and Jennifer Collins, 32, were killed in the crash, which happened about 4 p.m. Saturday west of Mount Vernon. Lawrence County Coroner Don Lakin confirmed the deaths Saturday night. The victims’ hometowns were not being released. Pilot Jason V. Rog, 32, was flown to St. John’s Regional Health Center in Springfield with serious injuries, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Seven people were aboard the plane when it crashed; the other four escaped without injury, according to the Highway Patrol. Patrol Sgt. Dan Bracker on Sunday said investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are handling the investigation. Many details of the crash are still under investigation, he said. “We are still interviewing witnesses, so there is a lot we can’t confirm,” Bracker said. “We are still working on preliminary parts of the investigation.” Tony Molinaro, …

12 dead in crash of plane on skydiving outing in Missouri, authorities say Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn SMS Email Missouri Plane Crash Reed Hoffmann - FR48783 AP Emergency vehicles parked outside the Butler Memorial Airport after a plane crash in Butler, Mo., Sunday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann) Show more Show less Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BUTLER, Mo. (AP) — A plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed in a field and was engulfed in flames Sunday, killing all aboard, authorities said. The crash happened shortly after the plane took off from a local airport around 11:30 a.m., and some of the occupants' family members witnessed the crash, said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson. A heap of blue and silver mangled metal lay in the grass near Butler Memorial Airport with a massive lineup of emergency vehicles gathered on a nearby street. Clergy and volunteers went to the site to assist relatives, Anderson said, and officials were working Sunday afternoon to identify a…

NTSB investigating weight, balance and engine questions in Missouri skydiving plane crash <p>Federal investigators are examining what caused a skydiving plane to crash shortly after takeoff in Butler, Missouri, killing all 12 people on board. The NTSB says weight, balance and possible engine issues will be investigated.</p>

BUTLER, Mo. — Several of the skydivers killed when their plane crashed moments after taking off from a Missouri airfield had jumped before and they belonged to a community with a unique bond, one friend said. The plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers crashed in a field and burst into flames Sunday, killing all on board, authorities said. Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson. Kevin Payne, who had jumped with seven of the skydivers on the plane, said they were all different in almost every way, except that they were all brought together as a “sky family.” “There is a joy and peace and freedom to what we do. That’s what most people never understand,” Payne, of Parkville, Missouri, wrote in an email. “It’s not about the adrenaline. It’s about really flying together with your family in that brief, exquisite instant that people who live their lives on the ground will never understand.” While the exact cause of the crash won’t be clear for a year or more until the National Transportation Safety Board publishes its final report, weather did not appear to be a factor. Skydiving plane w…

CNN - National <i>Mid America Live News via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Aircraft down near the Butler By CNN Newsource New today at 10:51 AM Published June 14, 2026 4:41 PM By Cindy Von Quednow, CNN (CNN) — A pilot and 11 passengers were killed Sunday after their airplane crashed moments after takeoff at a western Missouri airport in one of the deadliest US skydiving plane crashes in decades, authorities said. The plane had just taken off from Butler Memorial Airport at about 11:35 a.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said, when it was unable to get visual altitude, made a sharp left turn and crashed about 300 yards from the runway, according to Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director. It crashed in a field next to the airport and became engulfed in flames, Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing told The Associated Press. Jacobs said he believed the plane was losing power. He believes the pilot, he told the AP , was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation and it could take the National Transportation Safety Board one to …

Now 85° Tue 74° Wed 85° byALEXX ALTMAN-DEVILBISS | The National News Desk BUTLER, Mo. (TNND) —Several of the skydivers killed in a fiery plane crash Sunday in Missouri were experienced jumpers, one friend told The Associated Press. Authorities said the plane was carrying a pilot and 11 passengers when itcrashed in a field near Butler Memorial Airportand burst into flames, killing everyone on board. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson told reporters that some family members were at the airport to watch the group jump and witnessed the crash. Skydive Kansas City, which operated the private plane, said in astatementthat its team and close-knit skydiving community were in shock. "This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community," the company said. "Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost." TheUnited States Parachute Association, the sport's governing body, said the tragedy had reverberated throughout the skydiving world. "A loss of this magnitude is felt profoundly across the entire sport," the association said in a statement. The group noted that Skydive Kansa…