Missouri Skydiving Plane Crash Kills 12 After 750XL Nosedives Near Butler

3 articles · Updated · KMBC Kansas City · Jun 15

Officials and relatives began identifying the 12 victims of Sunday’s Butler, Missouri, crash, including a music teacher, a father of two, a cancer survivor and multiple veteran skydivers.
Around 11:30 a.m., the Pacific Aerospace 750XL carrying nine experienced skydivers, two tandem jumpers and a pilot crashed shortly after takeoff while operating for Skydive Kansas City.
Witnesses said the aircraft started a turn, then nosedived onto the edge of airport property about 300 yards from the runway.
Among those identified were USPA technology director Jen Sharp, videographer Dustin McKinney, instructor Nick Nash and Matthew Swope, who had logged more than 750 jumps.
The identifications add detail to one of Missouri’s deadliest recent aviation accidents as scrutiny turns to what caused the post-takeoff plunge.