Three of the 12 Butler Crash Victims Identified: A Music Teacher, a Grandfather of Six, and a Skydiving Association Tech Director

Since the skydiving plane crashed near Butler, Missouri on June 14, killing all 12 people aboard, attention has turned to identifying the victims.

Three victims have now been publicly identified.

Dave Hershberger

Dave Hershberger taught orchestra at Oak Park High School and at Antioch Middle School in the North Kansas City School District, according to the Kansas City Star. He was also a member of the Kansas City Wind Symphony. The principals of both schools sent a joint email to families describing him as "not only a passionate educator and talented musician, but one of the kindest humans." He lived in Gladstone, Missouri.

Mike Shanahan

Mike Shanahan, 54, was on board for what would have been his 23rd tandem jump, according to a GoFundMe cited by the New York Post. A member of Kansas City Sheet Metal Union Local #2, he was described in the fundraiser as "the best papa to six kids, a humble human, and a very dedicated native to the city." His mother, Gloria, told the Kansas City Star that Shanahan had planned to skydive in California on August 11 to raise money for breast cancer research — an effort inspired by his late sister Nikki, who died of the disease.

Jen Sharp

Jen Sharp was aboard to conduct a coach evaluation jump, according to KMBC. She served as Director of Technology for the United States Parachute Association. USPA Executive Director Albert Berchtold released a statement calling her "a remarkable force whose passion for the skies was matched only by her dedication to the people in our sport." The USPA said her loss "leaves an unfillable void in our office, our community, and our hearts."

Also killed was Marcus Miller, a pipefitter from Lawrence, Kansas, whose Facebook page was described by KMBC as full of skydiving photos and travel adventures.

What Happened

The 2010 Pacific Aerospace 750XL, registered to a Tennessee company according to the Bates County Emergency Management Agency, departed Butler Memorial Airport around 11:27-11:35 a.m. local time on June 14. Airport manager and emergency management director Dennis Jacobs told the Associated Press that the plane "had just taken off and made a left turn" before going down. His assessment: the aircraft was losing power, the pilot attempted to reach the highway for an emergency landing, then stalled and went down nose-first before catching fire.

The Kansas City Star reported that Bates County officials confirmed the plane was not able to reach full power. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson said family members of some passengers witnessed the crash. First responders found no evidence that anyone attempted to jump before impact, according to PBS NewsHour.

The FAA confirmed in a statement to The Guardian that "air traffic services were not being provided at the time" — meaning there was no tower controller in contact with the aircraft during the sequence.

The crash was declared a mass casualty event. Skydive Kansas City, which operates from Butler Memorial Airport, said in a statement that it is "working closely with local authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board" and that "the entire team is in shock."

The Investigation

The NTSB is leading the investigation, with the FAA participating. The Kansas City Star reported that Anderson ruled out criminal activity or terrorism, calling it an accident. Formal identification of remains was not possible until investigators cleared the scene, Anderson said.

Families and the broader skydiving community will want to know whether the aircraft's mechanical condition, its loading, or operational procedures at Skydive Kansas City contributed to the power loss. The 750XL is a well-regarded platform for skydiving operations globally, so a systemic aircraft-design issue is possible but unproven. What is not yet answered is why the 2010-built aircraft could not achieve full power on departure and whether any prior maintenance records or reports flagged concerns. The NTSB has not yet released preliminary findings as of June 15.

The NTSB typically releases a preliminary report within 30 days of an accident. That timeline will carry significant weight for the families still waiting for answers.