Victims identified in Missouri skydiving plane crash

The 12 people killed in a skydiving plane crash in western Missouri have been identified, including victims from Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania and an Indian national, according to officials.

The crash happened Sunday morning shortly after the aircraft took off from Butler Memorial Airport in Butler, about 60 miles south of Kansas City. Officials have said the plane was being used for skydiving operations and crashed on airport property.

The coroner’s office said the victims were identified through the aircraft manifest and next-of-kin notifications, though authorities are still working to make certain the deceased are positively identified.

The victims were identified as Kurt John Roy, 69, of Windber, Pennsylvania; Michael R. Shanahan, 54, of Kansas City, Missouri; David Hershberger, 54, of Liberty, Missouri; Matthew Swope, 39, of Independence, Missouri; Dustin McKinney, 44, of Stilwell, Kansas; and Jennifer L. Sharp, 55, of Grand Junction, Colorado.

Also killed were Sai Karthik Varma Datla, 24, an Indian national; Blake Thacker, 25, of Olathe, Kansas; Marcus Miller, 30, of Lawrence, Kansas; Nicholas Nash, 40, of Harrisonville, Missouri; William Fischer, 23, of De Soto, Kansas; and Dane Cordes, 26, of Richmond, Missouri.

“We ask that you allow time and pray for everyone involved as this investigation will take months to complete and has touched people nationwide,” the office said.

Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said after the crash that the aircraft had taken off from the local airport before it went down.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash. Local officials said the investigation is expected to take months.