We're learning new details about a deadly skydiving plane crash that killed 12 people in Butler, Missouri on Sunday.
Federal investigators said the plane took off from the Butler Memorial Airport — about an hour from Kansas City — and crashed shortly after. The crash killed 11 skydivers and the pilot.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were at the crash site Monday combing the scene and interviewing witnesses. Anything salvageable from the wreck will be taken to Washington D.C., where investigators will work to find the cause of the crash.
A former NTSB investigator told the Scripps News Group that he believes there was not enough altitude for the pilot to turn around to go back to the airport.
“This is an accident that occurred right after takeoff with witnesses reporting some sort of an engine problem," NBC News Aviation Analyst Jezz Guzzetti said. “There's something called the impossible turn that pilots are trained not to do. You're not supposed to immediately turn around when you're less than 500 feet above the ground. You're supposed to just land or crash straight ahead. That is not what seemed to happen here.”
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The fatal crash raised questions about the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of skydiving plane operations, which have fewer regulations than commercial airliners. That's a concern NTSB and federal leaders have raised in the past.
The crash Sunday in Butler is the deadliest skydiving crash in the last 20 years, according to data from the United States Parachute Association.
A different skydiving plane crash in 2019 prompted the NTSB to give the FAA safety recommendations for skydiving regulations. But years after those recommendations were shared, the FAA has only considered those changes and has yet to implement them.
U.S. Rep. Mark Alford represents Missouri's 4th Congressional District, which includes Butler. Alford spent Sunday and Monday in Butler. He told the Scripps News Group his top priority is safety for skydivers.
"This is something very serious," Alford said. "We want to find out what the issue is and how do we fix it before something like this happens again."
But after learning that the FAA hasn't implemented the 2021 NTSB safety recommendations, his concern quickly turned to accountability.
"I think it's government at its worst," Alford said. "It's very disturbing that that hasn't been done and we're going to be looking into that to find out why that hasn't been done."
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In 2021, the NTSB told the FAA that oversight regulations on skydiving planes weren't strong enough. The recommendations from the NTSB included the need to address loopholes, increase oversight and add a safety management system.
The FAA formed an Aviation Rule Committee in 2024 to consider the recommendations. The Scripps News Group asked for a comment about the recommendations on Monday. A spokesperson said the FAA will consider the NTSB recommendations.
"Improving the safety of Part 91 passenger-carrying operations, including skydiving, is a priority for the FAA," the spokesperson said.
The vice chairman for the NTSB discussed the 2021 recommendations and lack of changes since then with reporters on Monday afternoon.
"When you jump on an airliner, you expect a certain amount of safety with a great safety record," Michael Graham said. "Airlines that have any passenger [plane] operation should be afforded the same safety as that."
Since the NTSB recommendations in 2021, there have been 17 skydiving airplane accidents and five fatalities, according to data with Parachutist and the United States Parachute Association. That data does not include the most recent crash in Butler. It's also separate from skydiving accidents and fatalities relating to jumps.
"It's always frustrating when we see things that maybe the FAA hasn't acted on with some of our recommendations and then we continue to see accidents in those arenas," Graham said.
Graham and other investigators have stated it's too early to determine the cause of Sunday's crash, but will continue to push for stricter regulations on skydiving planes.
"To me, one of the biggest things is having safety management systems for all," Graham said.
According to the US Parachute Association, the company involved with the crash, Skydive KC, is in good standing with the organization's required safety standards. The NTSB is expected to have a preliminary report on the crash in 30 days.
This story was originally published by Isabella Ledonne with the Scripps News Group in Kansas City.
