Six die when plane carrying skydivers crashes

March 22, 1998
Web posted at: 1:07 p.m. EDT (1307 GMT)

GRAIN VALLEY, Missouri (CNN) -- A Cessna 206 carrying six members of the Greater Kansas City Skydiving Club crashed Saturday shortly after reporting an electrical emergency. All aboard were killed.

The plane took off from the airport in Independence, reported the problem and tried to make it to the airport in Grain Valley, 10 miles away. The Cessna radioed a distress signal, and airport officials cleared the runway for landing.

The craft drifted south of the runway and was attempting to recover when a wing clipped a tree and the plane went down, said Stan Shaughnessy, manager of the Grain Valley airport.

Witnesses reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the plane, which also appeared to be leaking fuel. Witnesses also said the engine was running rough, an aviator term for irregular or unusual sounds.

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