Kreindler Investigating Tragic Skydiving Airplane Crash in Missouri
What Happened
On June 14, 2026, shortly after 11:30 a.m., a Pacific Aerospace P750XL skydiving aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri. The airplane came down in a field near the airport, close to Business 49 Highway in Bates County, Missouri, approximately 60 miles south of Kansas City. All 12 people aboard were killed, including the pilot and 11 skydivers.
The Pacific Aerospace P750 airplane, number N221BN, manufactured in 2010, was registered to Skyhi Aero LLC, operated for Skydive Kansas City with an address in Jasper, Tennessee. The P750 was a fixed-wing single-engine plane equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada standard PT6A-34 engine.
In the Media
Preliminary Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the tragic skydiving plane crash. News reports indicate the aircraft failed to gain altitude after departure and crashed near the airport after an apparent attempt to return. The NTSB will lead the investigation and is expected to issue a preliminary report in the coming weeks and a final report that will include a probable cause following its 12-24-month investigation.
Kreindler's Experience with Specialty Airplane Crash Cases
Kreindler attorneys have extensive experience in successfully handling tourist and specialty aviation accidents: sightseeing, heli-skiing, medical and recreational airplane and helicopter crash cases, including:
"American Made" film production, Aerostar 600 Airplane, Medellin, Colombia
Cessna Citation Airplane EMS Medical Flight, Lake Michigan
Bell 206 Sightseeing Tour Helicopter, Pigeon Forge, TN
Bell 206L-3 Long Ranger Helicopter Crash on the Llewellyn Glacier, British Columbia
About Kreindler
Kreindler is the preeminent aviation accident law firm in the world. Our attorneys have been appointed leading counsel in nearly every major commercial airline disaster case in the U.S. and abroad. The firm was recently named "Transportation Law Firm of the Year" by the National Law Journal. Kreindler’s aviation practice is led by attorneys who began their career as military pilots. Kreindler’s attorneys have achieved an unmatched record of success representing people who have been injured or have lost family members as a result of an airline disaster. The firm maintains offices in New York, Boston and Los Angeles.