Overview
- A Pacific Aerospace P750XL carrying a pilot and 11 skydivers crashed after takeoff from Butler Municipal Airport on June 14, killing everyone on board.
- Airport security video reviewed by the NTSB shows the airplane begin a slow left turn after liftoff with both wings reaching an almost perpendicular angle before a nose‑down impact in a nearby field.
- Onsite and post‑crash examinations found no signs of preimpact engine mechanical failure and confirmed the airplane met weight and balance limits for the flight.
- A post‑crash fire heavily burned major airframe parts and destroyed much of the wreckage, investigators recovered damaged GoPro cameras that were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory for analysis.
- The investigation remains open with a final probable‑cause report and any safety recommendations expected in 12 to 24 months, and the case has focused attention on oversight gaps for parachute jump operations that are not required to carry crash‑worthy recorders or hold FAA operating certificates.