Twelve people were killed Sunday after a skydiving plane crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in western Missouri, authorities said.
The aircraft was carrying 11 passengers and one pilot when it went down shortly after departing the airport near Butler, about 65 miles south of Kansas City.
The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Pacific Aerospace P750. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, with the NTSB leading the probe.
Local officials said everyone on board died at the scene. The victims included the pilot and 11 people who were taking part in a skydiving outing.
The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, according to reports from local officials and national outlets. The company said the crash was a devastating loss for the skydiving community.
Authorities had not released the victims’ names as of Sunday afternoon while families were still being notified.
Bates County officials said the plane appeared to have trouble gaining altitude after takeoff. It made a left turn before crashing in a field near the airport.
Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director, told the Associated Press that the aircraft may have been losing power. He said it appeared the pilot may have been trying to reach a nearby highway before the plane stalled and crashed.
Officials have not confirmed the cause. The NTSB said investigators will examine the aircraft, weather data, radar information, maintenance records and pilot records before reaching any conclusions.
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said some relatives of people on board saw the crash happen. Clergy and volunteers came to the scene to support grieving family members.
Emergency responders found the wreckage engulfed in flames and worked to put out the fire. Crews also checked the surrounding area to see whether anyone had jumped before the crash, but officials reported no survivors.
The crash site drew responses from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Butler police, the Bates County Sheriff’s Office, the FAA and the NTSB.
The NTSB often releases a preliminary report within weeks, but a final report can take a year or longer. The agency says it does not determine or speculate about a crash cause during the early stage of an investigation.
For now, the Missouri crash has left a small airport community and the wider skydiving world mourning one of the deadliest sport aviation accidents in recent years.