Some of the skydivers killed in Missouri plane crash were experienced jumpers

Key Points:

• A plane carrying 12 people, including experienced skydivers and Jen Sharp, a leading female jumper and US Parachute Association technology director, crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri, killing all on board.
• Witnesses reported the plane was about 100 feet off the ground when it abruptly turned left, appeared to lose power, and stalled before crashing nose-first; weather was not believed to be a factor.
• The aircraft, a Pacific Aerospace 750XL built in 2010 and operated by Skydive Kansas City, had completed multiple successful flights over the weekend prior to the crash.
• Federal investigators from the NTSB are examining the crash but face challenges due to the lack of a black box; they have raised concerns in past investigations about skydiving oversight, including maintenance, pilot training, and safety regulations.
• The FAA recently formed a committee to improve skydiving safety following NTSB recommendations, but critics say regulatory action has been slow despite repeated accidents in the industry, which reports a strong overall safety record with most fatalities due to human error.