12 victims identified in one of deadliest US skydiving incidents in decades - East Idaho News

Published
June 12, 2026
Location
Butler, Missouri
Butler Memorial Airport
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Incident type
Aircraft, Fire, Crash

Summary

Car Crash Butler Missouri in Butler, Missouri: A single‐engine turboprop skydiving plane crashed moments after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, on Sunday at about 11:35 a.m. The aircraft failed to reach an altitude of 100-200 feet and plummeted roughly 300 yards from the runway, killing the pilot and 11 passengers. Investigators are examining possible engine power loss or stall as the cause.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Unnamed Pilot Driver Fatal
David Hershberger Passenger Fatal
Jennifer Sharp Passenger Fatal
Michael Shanahan Passenger Fatal
Dane Cordes Passenger Fatal
Dustin McKinney Passenger Fatal
Matthew Swope Passenger Fatal
William Fischer Passenger Fatal
Nicholas Nash Passenger Fatal
Marcus Miller Passenger Fatal
Sai Karthik Varma Datla Passenger Fatal
Blake Thacker Passenger Fatal

Original reporting

12 victims identified in one of deadliest US skydiving incidents in decades - East Idaho News

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