Missouri Skydiving Plane Crash Kills 12 After 11:30 a.m. Takeoff

Q: What mysterious event forced a skydiving plane to turn back moments before its fatal crash?

It is not yet known. Authorities have said the skydiving plane took off from Butler Memorial Airport, then turned back for an unknown reason before crashing, killing all 12 people on board. The Missouri State Highway Patrol, local law enforcement, the FAA and the NTSB are investigating. As of the information provided, officials have not identified any specific “mysterious event” that forced the aircraft to return, and there is no confirmed public evidence of a mechanical failure, onboard emergency, weather issue, or other trigger. Investigators are also working to determine whether any skydivers exited the plane before impact and what operational or technical factors led to the crash. A full NTSB finding on probable cause will likely take months. For now, the reason the plane turned back remains unexplained.

3 articles · Updated · Boston.com · Jun 14

All 12 people aboard a skydiving flight died after the plane crashed in a field near Butler Memorial Airport and caught fire, Missouri authorities said.
Around 11:30 a.m., the aircraft had just taken off and made a left turn when it appeared to lose power, stall and go down nose first while trying to reach a roadway for an emergency landing.
First responders extinguished the fire and found no indication that anyone had jumped before impact; the plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City.
NTSB and FAA teams were heading to the site to investigate the Pacific Aerospace 750XL, a single-engine turboprop built in 2010 and commonly used for skydiving.