Pennsylvania man among 12 killed after skydiving plane crashes in Missouri
A man from Pennsylvania was one of the 12 people killed when a skydiving plane crashed on Sunday in Missouri, authorities said.
The private plane crashed moments after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, which is approximately 60 miles south of Kansas City. The Bates County Coroner's Office identified the 12 victims on Tuesday. One of the victims was Kurt John Roy, a 69-year-old from Windber, Pennsylvania. Windber is in Somerset County.
The victims ranged in age from 23 to 69. Five were from Missouri, four were from Kansas, one was from Colorado and one was from India.
"We waited to release the names to allow time for the friends and families to reach out to their extended families," Jerret Reno, the Bates County coroner, said in a Facebook post. "We ask that you allow time and pray for everyone involved as this investigation will take months to complete and has touched people nationwide."
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Skydive Kansas City was the operator of the plane, a Pacific Aerospace P750.
"Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost," Skydive Kansas City said in a statement to CBS News.
A witness to the crash told "CBS Mornings" that upon impact, the plane "completely like shattered with the ground."
"It was completely perpendicular with the wings to the sky, to the ground, going fast. And then they just hit the ground," Reed told "CBS Mornings" on Monday. "The ground and trees around it exploded and it just lit up in flames."
