Brazil saw two fatal airborne incidents unfold on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. And while the internet is still in disbelief, particularly over the bungee jumping failure, another tragic accident is being mentioned in viral reactions. A plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers on a skydiving outing in Missouri crashed in a field on Sunday (June 14) before bursting into flames. Authorities say everyone on board died.
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What Happened To Skydiving Plane In Missouri?
The crash happened shortly after the skydiving plane took off from a local airport around 11:30 a.m. Skydive Kansas City was operating the private plane, Dennis Jacobs said. He is the acting airport manager and the director of the Bates County Emergency Management Agency. The plane appears to be a single-engine turboprop plane.
“It had just taken off and made a left turn” before the crash, Jacobs said. “In my opinion, I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire.”
Sky diving companies operate in the region eight or nine months of the year. The season usually starts in late March or early April and lasts into October or November. Someone answering the phone at Skydive Kansas City declined to speak to a reporter from The Associated Press.
The crashed occurred on a sunny day in the area. Data from the digital flight tracking company FlightAware shows the plane had already completed two short flights on Sunday before the crash. Two more successful flights were logged Saturday, and five on Friday, according to FlightAware.
It’s not yet known what factors may have contributed to the crash, Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing said. Additionally, those details will be part of the investigation carried out by NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) officials.
Missouri Officials Believe Crash Could’ve Been An “Accident”
The Pacific Aerospace 750XL that crashed is a model that’s popular for skydiving. It also has proven useful for carrying cargo, aerial surveying and medical evacuation flights. The aircraft can carry more than 4,000 pounds and is capable of taking off and landing on short runways, according to the manufacturer. According to FAA records, the plane was built in 2010.
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson emphasized that the public is safe and this “appears to be an accident.” However, the exact cause of Sunday’s crash won’t be clear for a year or more until the NTSB publishes its final report.
Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said poor maintenance has been a factor in a number of previous skydiving plane crashes. That’s because these companies are not held to a high standard under FAA rules. Guzzetti said skydiving companies are governed by the same rules as any private plane owner. It’s not governed by the more stringent rules that charter flight operators and airlines adhere to.
“There’s been a whole history of skydiving accidents for inadequate maintenance and deficient safety culture,” said Guzzetti who used to be a crash investigator for both the NTSB and FAA.
The NTSB has previously raised concerns about the weak oversight for skydiving operators in past crash investigations. The agency said after a 2019 crash that killed 11 people in Hawaii that the FAA’s regulatory system isn’t strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights. The small airport serves around 30 aircraft, all privately owned, including crop-dusting companies and skydiving operators, Dennis Jacobs said.
Family & Loved Ones Reportedly Witnessed Crash
Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said that some of the occupants’ family members witnessed the crash. Clergy and volunteers went to the site to assist relatives, Anderson said. Also, on Sunday afternoon, officials were working to identify all victims and notify their next of kin.
A heap of blue and silver mangled metal lay in the grass near Butler Memorial Airport. Meanwhile, a massive lineup of emergency vehicles gathered on a nearby street. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration were also on scene Sunday afternoon, Anderson said.
Emergency responders put out the fire in the wreckage soon after the crash, Jacobs said, calling the scene “brutal.” First responders also checked the area under the flight path and did not find anyone who might have tried to jump out before the plane came down, he said.
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Associated Press writers Kristin M. Hall, Rebecca Boone, Josh Funk and Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
