The passengers who boarded a Cessna on Saturday expected they would use their parachutes -- but not quite the way things turned out.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the single-engine Cessna C206 that took off on a skydiving flight crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri at about 1 p.m., according to KCTV-TV.
The Bates County Sheriff’s Office stated that when first responders arrived, they found the wreckage in a hay field.
The website Aviation Safety Network, which allows user reporting/input a la Wikipedia, described the incident this way: “A Cessna U206C Super Skywagon (Turbine Conversions Pratt Ltd Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 550 hp turbine conversion) experienced a Skydiver premature parachute deployment at 14,000 msl damaging the tail section.”
“The pilot was able to parachute to safety after the six skydivers jumped out and the aircraft was destroyed. The plane crashed in a field east of Butler Memorial Airport (BUM/KBUM), Butler, Missouri. No injuries,” the post, which could not be verified, said.
A small plane with seven people on board crashed near Butler Memorial Airport Saturday afternoon.https://t.co/pPoplicrHR
— KSHB 41 News (@KSHB41) May 25, 2024
In a statement Sunday, the National Transportation Safety Board offered a glimpse into what it did know.
It said the plane was on a skydiving flight and "all passengers and the pilot were able to exit the plane before it crashed,” according to KSHB-TV.
"The wreckage will be recovered to an offsite facility for examination. During the on-scene phase of the investigative process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate about the cause of the accident," the NTSB said.
The agency will release its preliminary report within 30 days.
Bates County sheriff’s deputies and the Federal Aviation Administration will assist the NTSB, according to KMBC-TV.
According to KCTV, all of those aboard were treated at the scene for such bumps and bruises as they sustained and then released.
According to Fox News, the plane was described as a “total loss.’
The Butler Memorial Airport is located about 60 miles south of Kansas City.
The Butler County Sheriff's Office posted an updated release about the incident after some misunderstood its initial Facebook post.
The initial post noted, "The pilot had been able to parachute from the plane prior to the plane crashing and was located at an hanger at the airport."
Because that led to questions about everyone else on board, deputies added a clarification: "All parachuters on the plane exited prior to the pilot leaving the plane. We thought that would be evident by the line that says everyone was treated and released."
