A small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Butler, Missouri on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at approximately 11:20 a.m. local time, according to the Bates County Sheriff's Office. The aircraft, a Cessna 208 Caravan, went down in a field about two miles south of Butler Memorial Airport.
Two people on board were killed, and one was seriously injured and transported to a hospital. The victims have not been publicly identified pending notification of next of kin. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.
Witnesses reported seeing the plane struggling to gain altitude before it nosedived into the ground. One witness, who asked not to be named, said the plane appeared to be in distress shortly after takeoff. 'They didn't have time to jump,' the witness told local media.
The skydiving operation was being conducted by a local company. The NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report within the next two weeks.
