7 people, including pilot, parachute out of small plane before crash in Missouri hayfield
A group of people, including a pilot, jumped out of a plane mid-air before it crashed into a hayfield in Missouri over the weekend.
According to the Bates County Sheriff's Office, the plane crashed near Butler Memorial Airport on Saturday afternoon, around 1 p.m.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they discovered the plane east of the runways. All the passengers survived.
"Everyone involved was treated by EMS and released at the scene. The plane is a total loss," the sheriff's office said. "The Bates County Sheriff's Office is assisting the NTSB and the FAA in their investigations."
USA TODAY reached out to the FAA and NTSB for additional comment.
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Seven people were on the plane
The Bates County Sheriff's Office clarified that the pilot helped the six passengers parachute off the plane before escaping.
WDAF-TV reported that the people aboard the Cessna U206C plane were skydivers. It's currently unclear what caused the incident.
Witness Rodney Rom described the plane as having "major unpreparable damage," with "not many parts left to be salvaged," according to the report.
The skydivers "knew what to do, all of them got out okay and the only loss was the plane," Rom added.
The airport manager, Chris Hall, told the outlet that one of the skydiver's parachutes abruptly deployed during operations, impacting the plane.
The airplane was transported to another facility amid the ongoing investigation, per the report.
"Thank you to Butler Fire, Adrian Fire, Butler Police and Bates County EMS for your response and assistance at the scene," the sheriff's office said.