NTSB finds no engine or weight issues in Missouri crash

Federal investigators have found no evidence of engine failure, fuel contamination, or weight issues in the fiery crash of a skydiving plane that killed all 12 people aboard last month in Missouri. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary findings on Thursday, July 2, stating the investigation has not yet determined a cause for the accident.

The crash occurred on June 14 shortly after 11:25 a.m. local time at Butler Memorial Airport, about an hour south of Kansas City. The Pacific Aerospace 750XL, operated by Skydive Kansas City, was carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers on a clear day. According to the NTSB report, the plane had completed two successful skydiving flights earlier that morning and had been refueled with clean fuel just before the fatal takeoff.

During its initial climb, the aircraft began a gradual turn to the left. Security footage and witness accounts indicate the turn continued until both wings became nearly perpendicular to the ground. The plane then slammed nose-first into a field and burst into flames. Some family members of the victims were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash.

The NTSB’s initial inspection of the...