US: 12 killed as skydiving aircraft crashes after takeoff in Missouri

MISSOURI: Twelve people were killed after a skydiving aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in the US state of Missouri, authorities said.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), preliminary information indicated that the aircraft involved in the incident was a Pacific Aerospace P750, which crashed while departing Butler Memorial Airport at approximately 11.35 am local time on June 14.

The FAA stated that all 12 people on board the aircraft died in the crash. “At the time of the crash, the FAA was not providing air traffic control services,” the FAA said. The aviation regulator further informed that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the incident and will provide updates.

Preliminary information shows a skydiving aircraft, a Pacific Aerospace P750, crashed while departing Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri at approximately 11:35 a.m. local time on June 14 with 12 people on board.

At the time of the crash, the FAA was not providing air traffic… https://t.co/FMCN81Jzyj

— The FAA (@FAANews) June 14, 2026

Al Jazeera reported, citing Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing, that the aircraft was carrying people for a skydiving operation at the time of the crash. They were able to extinguish the fire shortly after the crash, he said, describing the scene as “brutal.

“It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they’re shutting down the roadway just as a precaution,” Ewing said. The identities of the victims were not immediately released by authorities, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)