At least 12 people have been killed after a plane carrying skydivers crashed and burst into flames moments after taking off from Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri, United States.
Authorities said the aircraft, a single-engine Pacific Aerospace P750XL operated by Skydive Kansas City, went down shortly after departing the airport on Sunday.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the plane failed to gain sufficient altitude after takeoff, made a sharp left turn and crashed in a field about 300 yards from the runway before erupting in flames.
All 12 occupant, comprising the pilot and 11 skydivers, died in the tragedy.
Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, said preliminary indications suggest the aircraft may have suffered a loss of power as the pilot attempted an emergency landing.
Emergency responders quickly extinguished the blaze, while officials confirmed that no one managed to jump from the aircraft before it crashed.
Skydive Kansas City described the incident as a “devastating loss” and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations to determine the cause of the crash, with authorities saying the identities of the victims would be released after their next of kin have been notified.
