WASHINGTON, United States: A skydiving plane crashed on Sunday in the central US state of Missouri, killing 12 people on board, emergency responders told AFP.
The crash occurred near Butler Memorial Airport, about 95-kms south of Kansas City, said Dennis Jacobs, director of Bates County Emergency Management Agency.
The private plane, carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot, turned around for an unknown reason after taking off around 11:30 am and crashed near a highway, prompting authorities to close the road, local media reports said. Emergency crews and officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are on the scene, the reports said.
The plane had just taken off around 11:20 am local time, was unable to get visual altitude, made a sharp left turn and crashed about 300 yards from the runway, Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager and Bates County emergency management director told CNN.The single-engine turbo prop is operated by Skydive Kansas City, Jacobs said.
