BUTLER, Mo. – An initial assessment by federal safety examiners has not identified any significant safety flaws that could have contributed to last month’s tragic plane crash in Missouri. The accident, which occurred during a skydiving excursion, resulted in the deaths of all 12 individuals on board, including several seasoned jumpers.
On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report after examining the crash site. Findings from the report revealed no evidence of mechanical issues or engine failures prior to the accident that would have impeded the plane’s proper functioning.
The agency also confirmed that a post-crash analysis of the fuel truck showed the fuel was uncontaminated, containing no sediment or debris. Additionally, the assessment of the skydiving company’s management software confirmed that the aircraft adhered to the required weight and balance restrictions for the flight.
Notably absent from the aircraft were crashworthy voice or data recorders, as they are not obligatory for planes of this type, investigators clarified. However, the NTSB report did mention that damaged GoPro cameras were found at the crash site and retrieved for analysis.
The federal investigation into this devastating incident is ongoing, with the final report often requiring a year or beyond to be fully concluded.
The June 14 crash happened about an hour south of Kansas City, when the plane carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers took off from Butler Memorial Airport at 11:25 a.m. on a clear day.
During the initial climb, the airplane began a gradual turn to the left, with both wings eventually becoming almost perpendicular to the ground before it slammed into a field, nose down, and burst into flames, investigators said.
The fire inflicted significant damage to the aircraft’s major structural components, as well as the cockpit, the cabin and the fuel system, investigators said.
Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, authorities said. The United States Parachute Association, skydiving’s governing body, said its technology director, Jen Sharp, was among those killed.
The day of the crash, Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, said he thought the plane was losing power and that the pilot had been trying to land on the nearby highway before it crashed.
The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, which called the crash a “devastating loss.”
Poor maintenance is often a factor when skydiving planes crash and the NTSB has previously raised concerns about the weak oversight for skydiving operators in past crash investigations. The agency said after a 2019 crash that killed 11 people in Hawaii that the FAA’s regulatory system isn’t strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to adopt the NTSB’s recommendations, but said it established a committee in April that will recommend ways to increase skydiving safety and will consider the safety board’s proposals.
The United States Parachute Association said that Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all FAA maintenance requirements. The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.
The Pacific Aerospace 750XL that crashed is a model that’s popular for skydiving and also has proven useful for carrying cargo, aerial surveying and medical evacuation flights. The aircraft can carry more than 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) and is capable of taking off and landing on short runways, according to the manufacturer.
The single-engine turboprop plane was built in 2010, according to FAA records. It made nine successful flights in the days before the crash, including two on Sunday morning, according to FlightAware, a digital flight tracking company.
Investigators said the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate and had accumulated over 4,100 total flight hours. This year was the pilot’s second consecutive jump season working for Skydive Kansas City, the NTSB said.
Skydive Kansas City reported no prior concerns with the pilot, investigators said, calling him safety-oriented and conservative with his decision making as a jump pilot.
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