The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 12 occupants of a skydiving plane were killed in a crash Sunday morning in Butler, Missouri.— about an hour south of Kansas City.
Authorities said troopers were near the Butler, Missouri, Memorial Airport assisting following the crash, which was reported around 11:30 a.m. local time.
🚨Plane Crash - Butler, MO🚨Troopers are on scene assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office of a Fatal Plane Crash near the Butler Memorial Airport. At this time reports indicate all occupants (12 total) have perished. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/rsAx7GBlQN
— MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) June 14, 2026
A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson said a Pacific Aerospace P750 crashed while taking off from the airport. The spokesperson said air traffic control services were not being provided at the time of the crash.
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson described the plane involved in Sunday's crash as a "local airplane," not a commercial airline.
Clear skies were reported in the area at the time of the crash, with temperatures in the low 70s. Winds were generally out of the north at around 10 miles per hour with gusts between 10 and 20 miles per hour.
A news conference was held at around 2:15 p.m. Sunday, when Anderson told reporters that this incident is being treated as a "mass casualty" event. Crews are working to notify family members of the 12 people who died, Anderson said.
The airport will be closed for an "undetermined amount of time," while Business 49 Highway will "probably" be closed for two days as the investigation continues, according to Anderson. The Bates County Sheriff’s Office is asking residents to avoid Business 49 near Butler Municipal Airport for an undetermined amount of time.
This story was originally published by Lauren Schwentker, Sam Hartle, Dre Bradley and Ryan Gamboa with the Scripps News Group in Kansas City.
