A private plane carrying skydivers crashed in the US state of Missouri on Sunday, killing all 12 people on board, authorities said.

The crash occurred near Butler Memorial Airport, about 60 miles (100 km) south of Kansas City, shortly after takeoff. The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City.

“Tragically, all 12 individuals aboard lost their lives in the accident,” the skydiving company said in a statement. The pilot was among the dead.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) identified the aircraft as a single-engine Pacific Aerospace P750. Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager, told Reuters the plane took off around 11:20 a.m. CT (1620 UTC).

It did not gain visual altitude and made a sharp left turn before coming down about 300 yards (274 meters) from the runway, near a highway. First responders swept the flight path for anyone who might have jumped but found no signs.

The cause of the crash is not immediately known. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading an investigation, with a final report expected in 12 to 24 months. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson called it “an accident.”

Some family members of passengers witnessed the crash. Visuals from the site showed blue and silver wreckage on the grass as emergency vehicles responded.

Source: www.dw.com