At least 12 people died in a plane crash in Missouri on June 14, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

It happened in the city of Butler, Missouri, a small town with a population of about 4,300 people located just south of Kansas City.

The plane, operated by Skydive Kansas City, was taking people up to skydive when it crashed and became engulfed in flames around 11:30 a.m. ET, according to Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Justin Ewing.

“It landed in a field adjacent to the airport,” Ewing said.

Ewing described the scene as “brutal.”

The Missouri State Highway Patrol stated that it’s shutting down a nearby roadway near Butler Memorial Airport “as a precaution.”

The small airport serves about 30 privately owned planes.

Ewing did not have other details immediately available.

The Bates County Sheriff’s Office told locals that both sides of a road would be shut down for “an undetermined amount of time” and urged drivers to find an “alternate route for some time,” according to the agency’s Facebook page.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Bates County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Butler Police Department for additional information.

The cause of the crash is not currently known. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash.

Bates County Emergency Management Agency Director Dennis Jacobs said it does not appear that anybody attempted to skydive before the crash happened.

“It had just taken off and made a left turn [before the incident],” Jacobs said. “In my opinion, 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.” 

The plane that crashed on June 14 was a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, which is a single-engine plane.

The aircraft, manufactured in 2010, is very popular for skydiving companies, carrying cargo, aerial surveying, and medical evacuation flights.

Skydiving companies in the region operate during the spring, summer, and fall months.

Kansas City Skydiving started serving the region in 1998 and advertised that it provides bucket list jumps for first-timers and veteran skydivers.

The Butler-based company kicked off its season in early April, according to a post on the company’s website.

The company charges $259 for thrillseekers to take part in a Tandem Skydive, which involves jumping out of an airplane while being harnessed to an experienced instructor.