A private plane crashed in Butler, Missouri, on Sunday morning, killing all 12 people on board, including 11 skydivers and the pilot. The aircraft went down in the area of Business 49 Highway just before 11:30 a.m., and emergency crews rushed to the scene.
The plane had left Butler Memorial Airport before it turned around for an unknown reason, officials said. It was not immediately clear what caused the plane crash, but investigators were searching the area to determine whether any skydivers jumped before the impact.
Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers joined crews from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board at the crash site. Their response pointed to the scale of the investigation, which was expected to last multiple days as authorities worked to piece together the final moments of the flight.
All lanes of Business 49 Highway were closed near the airport after the crash, with both directions shut for an undetermined amount of time. The closure added another layer of disruption to a scene already crowded with law enforcement, rescue crews and federal investigators.
The unanswered question is why the plane turned back in the first place. Until investigators determine what happened in the air and on the ground, the crash will remain a tragedy defined by what is known: 12 people aboard, none survived.
