Probe into fiery Missouri plane crash that killed 11 skydivers and pilot takes shocking twist... as investigators reveal head-scratching findings

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 03:01, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 03:16, 4 July 2026 The inquest into the fiery Missouri plane crash that killed 11 skydivers and the plane's pilot last month has taken a puzzling turn, as investigators have revealed they've failed to find an explanation for why the disaster happened. A preliminary probe published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday found that there were no major safety failures before the fatal accident on June 14 in Butler. The Pacific Aerospace Limited 750XL plane carrying the skydivers went down minutes after taking off from Butler Memorial Airport around 11.30am that day and burst into flames upon impact. However, there were no indications of any mechanical malfunctions or failures to any of the plane engine's components before the crash, the NTSB said. The report added that the engine showed signs that it was 'developing power at the time of the impact.' According to the preliminary findings, the plane had already completed two other trips earlier that day, with a total of 19 passengers completing their parachute jumps successfully. The airplane met the weight and balance limitations, and no concerns were raised about the pilot either. In their preliminary report, the NTSB said the pilot had more than 4,100 total flight hours and that his most recent flight review was last October 5. 11 skydivers and a plane pilot were killed in Butler, Missouri, on June 14, when a Pacific Aerospace Limited 750XL aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published its preliminary findings into last month's crash on Thursday but did not appear to find a reason for the disaster The pilot was in his second straight jump season working for the operator, Skydive Kansas City. He was identified as Kurt John Roy in a public obituary earlier this week, according to the Kansas City Star. Skydive Kansas City said Roy was 'safety oriented,' according to the NTSB, and 'conservative with his decision making as a jump pilot.'  The report did not name the pilot, but it noted that he had completed the preflight of the airplane 'with no issues reported.' He also researched and posted the various wind speeds and directions on a whiteboard ahead of the flight. The NTSB's preliminary report also said that a post-accident sample from the fuel truck found the jet fuel to be clean without sediment or debris detected. Several GoPro cameras were found at the accident site. Though damaged, they were taken to a NTSB laboratory. The report published by the NTSB showed a circled photograph of the Pacific Aerospace Limited 750XL plane involved in the crash  Nine of the 11 skydivers in the plane crash were experienced and two were participating in tandem jumps, according to authorities The airplane was not equipped with a crashworthy voice or data recorder, like those that record flight data on commercial planes. However, it was not required to have said items, according to investigators. The report also specified that parachute jump flights do not need FAA-issued operating certificates, FAA-issued operations specifications, and FAA-approved training and maintenance. The plane that crashed left Butler Memorial Airport at 11.25am, according to the report. Shortly after takeoff, security video footage from a nearby hangar showed the plane making a gradual turn to the left. Both wings became perpendicular to the ground and the aircraft eventually crashed in a flat grass field. The plane burst into flames upon impact, killing the passengers and the pilot.  Jen Sharp, 55, was one of the skydiving veterans on the trip. She had been skydiving since 1989  Another young skydiver on the plane was Blake Thacker, 25, pictured here on a previous skydive William Fischer, 23, posted several videos of himself to social media jumping out of planes and performing acrobatic stunts hurtling through the air The victims of the plane crash were identified as Roy, 69; Michael Shanahan, 54; David Hershberger, 54; Sai Karthik Varma Datla, 24; Matthew Swope, 39; Dustin McKinney, 44; Jen Sharp, 55; Blake Thacker, 25; Marcus Miller, 30; Nicholas Nash, 40; William Fischer, 23; and Dane Cordes, 26. Sharp was among the skydiving veterans. She was on a coach evaluation jump during the flight and had been skydiving since 1989. McKinney was a local videographer who worked at Skydive Kansas City, filming other jumpers as they hurtled through the air. Swope, from Independence, Missouri, was a systems engineer at KPB Brands and expert skydiver of more than 750 jumps. His mother Dorcie Swope added that he died 'doing what he loved best' and would be missed by his three sisters and two brothers. Cordes, an arborist who recently started his own business, We Care Tree Care in Orrick, Missouri, made numerous jumps in his spare time. Cordes made his first jump on June 28 last year and a month later qualified to be able to parachute by himself. At the time of the crash, Skydive Kansas City said that the accident was ‘a devastating loss for everyone connected to [them] and for the wider skydiving community.’ 'Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost.' The NTSB's preliminary findings said the pilot researched and posted the various wind speeds and directions on a whiteboard before the fatal flight According to the NTSB's report, the airplane that went down met the weight and balance limitations Dennis Jacobs, the acting airport manager and Bates County Emergency Management Agency director, said after the crash that he believed the plane was having issues and that the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing. 'I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire,' Jacobs said, according to PBS. Jacobs called the scene of the crash was 'brutal,' with everyone aboard dead. He said that nine of the 11 skydivers were experienced, while two were participating in tandem jumps, according to the Springfield News-Leader. He said that some of the people who witnessed the crash were loved ones of those aboard the plane that went down and exploded. 'One lady that was there was watching her brother, and his wife was there, too, and she was supposed to be on the plane with them,' Jacobs said. The NTSB stressed that the information released was preliminary and subject to change. A final report can often take up to a year or more to complete. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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