Skydive Kansas City: 5 things to know about the deadly Butler airplane crash

Skydive Kansas City: the deadly Butler airplane crash draws attention to the risks of skydiving operations as federal investigators probe what caused the plane to go down shortly after takeoff from Butler Memorial Airport, killing all 12 aboard. The company was founded in 1998 by skydivers Chris Hall and his father John Hall and has long touted its safety record, customer service, and turbine aircraft. John Hall was long regarded among the region’s top demonstration jumpers, while Chris Hall began skydiving at 18 and competed on the ESPN X Games Pro Tour in 1996, later becoming a noted freefall photographer. In 2024, Hall retired and the business was purchased by Bucketlist Experience, which operates skydiving companies in Indiana and Wisconsin; Bucketlist is owned by Little Engine Ventures, based in Lafayette, Indiana.