12 victims identified in one of deadliest US skydiving incidents in decades

Published
June 17, 2026
Outcome
Fatal
Location
Butler, Missouri
Butler Memorial Airport
Incident type
Crash, Aircraft, Fire

Summary

Car Crash Butler Missouri in Butler, Missouri: A skydiving aircraft crashed moments after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Missouri, on a Sunday morning around 11:35 a.m. The plane failed to reach altitude and plunged into a field, catching fire. Eleven passengers and the pilot were killed, making it the deadliest crash at the airport and one of the worst skydiving incidents in U.S. history. Investigations by the FAA and NTSB are underway.

Publicly reported parties

Name Role Status
Unnamed Pilot Driver Fatal
Jennifer Sharp Passenger Fatal
David Hershberger Passenger Fatal
Dustin McKinney Passenger Fatal
Matthew Swope Passenger Fatal
William Fischer Passenger Fatal
Nicholas Nash Passenger Fatal
Michael Shanahan Passenger Fatal
Dane Cordes 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 | KSL.com

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