Multiple outlets report that several of the skydivers killed in a plane crash in Missouri were experienced jumpers. The aircraft reportedly crashes moments after taking off from a Missouri airfield. The Independent and Washington Times both state that some of the people on board had jumped previously. Washington Times adds that the skydivers were part of a close community described by a friend as having a “unique bond.”
NDTV and Yahoo News focus on the same point, citing a friend of the deceased. NDTV reports that Kevin Payne, who said he had jumped with seven of the skydivers on the plane, describes them as having been “brought together as a ‘sky family.’” While the sources agree on the prior jumping experience of several victims and the tight social ties among them, they do not provide consistent detail on the full number of experienced jumpers or additional circumstances about the flight. The accounts primarily address the victims’ backgrounds and community connections rather than the cause of the crash.
