A skydiving plane crashed in Butler, Missouri, killing 12 people, including the pilot and 11 passengers. The plane, a Pacific Aerospace Limited 750XL, took off from Butler Memorial Airport around 11:30 a.m. on June 14 for parachute jumps.
Investigation Underway
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report into the crash. According to the report, security footage showed the plane taking off from the mid-field of a runway and beginning a gradual left turn. The plane continued to turn, and both wings eventually became approximately perpendicular to the ground. The plane then crashed nose down into a grassy field about 445 feet to the west of the southern end of the planned landing zone.
A post-crash fire significantly burned all major components of the plane and destroyed much of the wreckage. However, investigators were able to identify all major structural components at the site. The NTSB report said that there were no indications of any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures to any of the engine components that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot, who had a commercial pilot certificate and had accumulated more than 4,100 total flight hours, was described as safety-oriented and conservative with his decision-making as a jump pilot. The plane did not contain a crashworthy voice recorder or data recorder, and it was not required to have those things.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
