Skydiving Plane Crash Claims 12 Lives in the United States

A skydiving aircraft crashed on Sunday in the central U.S. state of Missouri, killing all 12 people aboard, officials said.

The accident occurred near Butler Memorial Airport, roughly 60 miles (95 kilometers) south of Kansas City, according to Dennis Jacobs, director of the Bates County Emergency Management Agency.

The private plane, which carried 11 skydivers and a pilot, turned back for an unknown reason after departing around 11:30 a.m. and then crashed close to a highway, prompting authorities to close the road, local media reports said.

Television footage showed charred wreckage in a field adjacent to the highway.

With Kansas City hosting several World Cup matches nearby, Sheriff Chad Anderson told a press conference that investigators found no evidence of terrorism or criminal activity related to the crash.

“For all intents and purposes, (this) appears to be an accident,” he said.

Anderson added that he did not know the airplane’s owner or the name of the skydiving company or organization involved.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the crash and the fatality count, identifying the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace P750, a single‑engine plane designed and built in New Zealand.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, the FAA said.

Clergy were present to provide support to the families of the victims, Anderson said.

The post Skydiving plane crash kills 12 in US appeared first on Vanguard News.