12 killed after skydiving plane crashes near Missouri airport in US

A plane carrying passengers preparing for a skydiving trip crashed near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri on Sunday, killing all 12 people on board, authorities told news agency AP. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said troopers were assisting the Butler Police Department and the Bates County Sheriff's Office at the crash site. The airport is located in Butler, about 65 miles south of Kansas City. According to Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing, the aircraft was transporting skydivers when it went down. Emergency services received reports at around 11.30am local time that a plane had crashed and caught fire. Firefighters quickly brought the blaze under control, but Ewing described the scene as "brutal". The aircraft came down in a field next to the airport, prompting authorities to close nearby roads as a precaution. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash. The aircraft involved was a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, a single-engine turboprop widely used by skydiving operators. The model can carry up to 17 skydivers and is also used for cargo transport, aerial surveys and medical evacuation missions. Federal Aviation Administration records show the aircraft was manufactured in 2010. Butler Memorial Airport serves about 30 privately owned aircraft, including those operated by agricultural aviation businesses and skydiving companies. Butler has a population of roughly 4,300 people, while Bates County is home to around 17,000 residents. Authorities have not yet released details about the victims, including their identities, ages or hometowns. Skydiving operations typically run in the area for eight to nine months each year, beginning in late March or early April and continuing through October or November.