Witness says skydivers had 'no time to jump' before Missouri plane crash killed 12

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI: Those on board the Missouri plane crash that killed 11 skydivers and the pilot "didn't have time to jump," a witness said, describing a horrifying scene in which the aircraft plunged to the ground moments after takeoff and erupted in flames.

The single-engine plane crashed Sunday, June 14, shortly after taking off from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, Mo., about 60 miles south of Kansas City. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators are working to determine what caused the aircraft operated by Skydive Kansas City to go down, as grieving families and the close-knit skydiving community mourn the 12 victims.

Witness describes aircraft hitting ground 'completely perpendicular'

Bailey Reed, who saw the crash unfold, told CBS News the plane appeared to lose control almost immediately after takeoff.

"It was completely perpendicular with the wings to the sky, to the ground, going fast. And then they just hit the ground," said Bailey Reed, who saw the crash happen.

"The ground and trees around it exploded, and it just lit up in flames." 

Reed said the people on board the plane would not have had a chance to deploy parachutes.

Family members who had gathered at the airport to watch their loved ones skydive also witnessed the tragedy.

"They didn't have time to jump," she told CBS News.

"They were so low to the ground the parachutes wouldn't have deployed, and there was no way anyone could have jumped and survived that."

"Our hearts go out to them," said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson. "There's nothing we really can say to make it better."

Authorities confirmed that all 12 people aboard the aircraft died in the crash, making it one of the deadliest skydiving aviation accidents in recent years.

Investigators examine aircraft, pilot, and FAA oversight

The NTSB has launched an investigation into the crash, with officials expected to examine the aircraft's mechanical condition, including its engine, as well as the pilot's training and maintenance records.

"Key to this investigation is going to be looking at the mechanical condition of the airplane itself, the engine," said Robert Sumwalt, the former chair of the NTSB.

The NTSB will "be looking at the training of the pilot. They'll also be looking at the FAA oversight to see if the FAA was providing adequate surveillance over this particular operation," Sumwalt said. "Since this is a parachute operation and not a commercial operation, oftentimes the FAA doesn't have the resources to oversee small operations like this."

The plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City.

"This is a devastating loss for everyone connected to Skydive Kansas City and for the wider skydiving community. Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, and loved ones of all who were lost," the group said in a statement.

"At this time, the focus of the management and ownership team is to assist investigators and to support the staff and the broader skydiving community. The entire team is in shock, and the community is close-knit."

As investigators continue piecing together the aircraft's final moments, officials have not identified a cause of the crash. The NTSB is expected to release a preliminary report in the coming weeks, though a final determination could take months.