12 Killed in Skydiving Plane Crash Near Butler, Missouri

Bates Co., Mo. (KFMO) - Twelve people were killed Sunday morning when a skydiving plane crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County. 

The aircraft was carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot when it went down. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson says investigators do not believe there is any threat to homeland or national security and that the crash appears to have been an accident.

Governor Mike Kehoe says the Missouri State Highway Patrol, State Emergency Management Agency, Disaster Medical Assistance Team, and the state's Disaster Mortuary Operations Response Team have all been deployed to assist local authorities. Behavioral health specialists and the American Red Cross are also providing support to victims' families and the community. 

The victims have not yet been identified, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.