Indian Technology Professional Among 12 Killed in Missouri Skydiving Plane Crash

The deceased, identified as Sai Karthik Varma Datla, was the only Indian national among those who lost their lives in the crash at Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, located about 80 miles south of Kansas City.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Datla was a technology professional based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. He held a master's degree in computer science from the University of Central Missouri and was employed in the healthcare technology sector. He was working with AdventHealth at the time of the incident and had previously been associated with Capgemini. His professional experience included cloud migration, automation, and software deployment projects, building a successful career after moving to the United States for higher education.

The United States Parachute Association, the governing body for skydiving in the country, confirmed that its Technology Director, Jen Sharp, was also among those killed in the crash.

Datla and several experienced skydivers were aboard a 2010 Pacific Aerospace 750XL aircraft when it crashed shortly after departing from Butler Memorial Airport just before 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Federal investigators said all 12 people on board, including the pilot and 11 skydivers, died when the aircraft slammed into a field and erupted in flames.

Investigators said the aircraft turned back shortly after takeoff for reasons that remain unknown. It subsequently lost control and crashed into a field located on airport property. Witnesses reported that the aircraft was flying at an altitude of approximately 100 feet, or 30 metres, when it made a sudden left turn before plunging to the ground.

Dennis Jacobs, Acting Airport Manager at Butler Memorial Airport, said the aircraft appeared to be losing power. He stated that the pilot may have been attempting to reach a nearby highway for an emergency landing when the aircraft stalled and crashed nose-first into the ground.

No Flight Data Recorder Installed

Providing an update on the investigation, United States National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Michael Graham said on Monday that investigators are interviewing witnesses and collecting photographs and videos related to the crash. He stressed that it is too early to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Graham noted that the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder, commonly known as a black box, similar to those used on commercial airliners. However, investigators are examining other devices and sources of information that may help establish the sequence of events leading to the crash.

The Pacific Aerospace 750XL is a single-engine turboprop aircraft widely used in the skydiving industry because it is specifically designed for the sport. The aircraft is capable of carrying parachutists to jumping altitudes quickly while operating from relatively short runways.

Records from FlightAware, a digital flight-tracking company, showed that the aircraft involved in the accident was manufactured in 2010 and had completed nine successful flights in the days leading up to the crash, including two flights on Sunday morning before the fatal incident.

The tragedy has drawn attention across both the United States and India, as investigators continue efforts to determine what caused the aircraft to lose control during one of its routine skydiving operations. The deaths of all 12 occupants, including Indian technology professional Sai Karthik Varma Datla and several experienced skydivers, mark one of the deadliest recent aviation incidents involving a skydiving aircraft in the region.