Pacific Aerospace 750XL, N221BN, fatal accident occurred on June 14, 2026, at Butler Airport (BUM/KBUM), Butler, Missouri

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when the NTSB preliminary report is released.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N221BN

- History of Flight:
On June 14, 2026, at about 1127 local time, a Pacific Aerospace 750XL, N221BN, was destroyed when it impacted terrain terrain at Butler Airport (BUM/KBUM), Butler, Missouri. The pilot and eleven passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Skyhi Aero LLC out of Jasper, Tennessee, and being operated by the Skydive Kansas City out of Butler, Missouri, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a local parachute jump (skydiving) flight. Daylight visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

According to flight-tracking history, on June 1, 2026, the airplane was ferried out of Skydive Chicago Airport (8N2), Ottawa, Illinois, on a flight to Beloit Airport (44C). The following day, the airplane was flown to Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (KJVL) and then New Century AirCenter (KIXD), before arriving at KBUM. The airplane conducted two short flights on June 5th, and one short flight on June 6th. Starting from June 12th, the airplane was flown several times on daily bases. The accident flight was the airplane's 13th flight since its arrival at KBUM.

On the day of the accident, at 0920, the airplane departed runway 36 and entered a climbing left turn to an altitude of 13,600 ft before dropping the skydivers over the airport and coming in for a landing on runway 36 (entire flight lasted 22m). At 1032, the airplane departed 36 again and entered a climbing left turn and flew a similar pattern for the earlier flight.

The accident flight was not captured on any flight-tracking or any ADS-B exchange sites.

Several people witnessed the accident, including family members.

Local emergency services reported that the airplane "was not able to make it to full power," and was... "turning left when it stalled near Interstate 49 Business."

The airport manager stated: "It had just taken off and made a left turn [...] I think it was losing power, and he was trying to make it over to the highway and land, and he stalled and went down nose first and caught fire."

The airplane impacted terrain within airport property and a post crash fire ensued.

- Pilot Information:
Unknown.

- Airplane Information:
The accident airplane, serial number 165, was manufactured in 2010. It was an 18-seat (in the parachute variant), low-wing, fixed tricycle gear airplane powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 engine that drove a 4-blade MTV-16-1 variable pitch propeller.

According to the aircraft manufacturing company:

"This aircraft has such unique Extremely Short Take-Off and Landing (XSTOL) capabilities that it demanded a class of its own. The result of more than fifty years of evolution, the  750XL is the world's first XSTOL aircraft unmatched by any other production aircraft and sets the benchmark for ten seater utility aircraft.  The 750XL is Single Pilot IFR Certified (FAA) and in 2012 gained certification against ICAO Annex 6 for Single Engine IFR Passenger Transport Operations.

• The 750XL delivers unsurpassed capability to provide:
• Take off and landing in less than 800 ft (244m), even when it is hot and high.
• Operate off semi-prepared airstrips in all types of terrain.
• Carry a load of more than 4,000 lb even in hot and high conditions.
• Rugged construction with a low 150-hour airframe/engine inspection interval and 39,000 hours before any scheduled airframe maintenance requirement.
• Proven, globally supported components from leading aerospace companies, including Pratt & Whitney, Hartzell, Garmin and Honeywell."

According to an old sale listing for the aircraft, it was equipped with the following avionics:

"Garmin GTX 330 ES Transponder Garmin GMA-340 Audio Panel Garmin GPS-695 Garmin GDL-39R data link receiver ARTEX 406 Mhz ELT One blind encoder Aircraft is ADSB out compliant and ADSB in receive only."

Figure 1: Cockpit instruments as seen from sale listing.

PDF File of old sale listing:

https://turbopropnation.com/pdf/2010%20PAC%20750XL%20S-N%20165.pdf

- Wreckage and Impact Information:
Given the previous departures and the witness accounts, the airplane was departing runway 36 when it entered a climbing left hand turn, it is unknown weather the reported "engine failure/power loss" happened during the takeoff phase or during the climb/turn.

Given the witness accounts, the airplane's left wing most likely stalled and the airplane entered a nose down attitude before impacting terrain. 

The wreckage was located on the edge of the airport property next to a fence and a treeline separating it from a highway. The entire airplane was located within the main wreckage, and there was no debris field leading to it. Both wings and tail were observed in the debris field. The entire airplane was largely consumed by a post crash fire. The impact appears consistent with a low altitude aerodynamic stall/early spin entry with little to no forward airspeed.

Figure 2: Main Wreckage, note lack of debris field.

A review of Google Earth imagery showed that there were a number of open fields ahead of runway 36 (see figure 6).

Figure 3: Runway 36 at KBUM with crash location marked

Figure 4: Likely Flight Path

Figure 5: View of accident location with some references used

Figure 6: Open areas ahead of runway 36.

- Airport Information:
KBUM is an uncontrolled public airport located 2 miles north of Butler, Missouri. The airport field elevation is 893.7 ft. The airport features a single runway 18/36 (asphalt/rubberized friction seal coat) which is 3999 x 75 ft.

- Weather:
The nearest weather observation facility, KLRY, located 19 nautical miles north of Butler, recorded the following conditions:

The 1135 METAR included: winds 020 at 8 knots, gusting 14 knots, 10 miles visibility, temperature 24 °C, dewpoint 12 °C, and an altimeter setting of 30.14 inches of mercury. The calculated density altitude was 1980 ft (all these conditions at KLRY).

METAR KLRY 141615Z AUTO 36010G15KT 10SM CLR 23/12 A3013 RMK AO2

METAR KLRY 141635Z AUTO 02008G14KT 10SM CLR 24/12 A3014 RMK AO2

METAR KLRY 141655Z AUTO 36009KT 10SM CLR 24/11 A3014 RMK AO2

Other airports:

METAR KGLY 141615Z AUTO 35012G17KT 10SM CLR 23/14 A3008 RMK AO2

METAR KGLY 141635Z AUTO 36013KT 10SM FEW043 23/14 A3008 RMK AO2

METAR KGLY 141655Z AUTO 35012G18KT 10SM FEW042 23/14 A3009 RMK AO2

METAR KFSK 141615Z AUTO 35010KT 10SM CLR 23/14 A3012 RMK AO2 T02280144

METAR KFSK 141635Z AUTO 36012KT 10SM SCT038 23/14 A3012 RMK AO2 T02290139

METAR KFSK 141655Z AUTO 01009KT 10SM CLR 24/14 A3012 RMK AO2 T02380144

- Additional Information:
None.