Telugu Techie Among 12 Killed In Us Skydiving Plane Crash
Great Andhra
A 24-year-old Indian technology professional was among 12 people killed when a skydiving aircraft crashed in the US state of Missouri, authorities said. Sai Karthik Varma Datla was identified as the only Indian victim in the crash at Butler Memorial Airport in
Bates County, around 80 miles south of Kansas City.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Datla was a technology professional based in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
He held a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Central Missouri and worked in the healthcare technology sector.
He was employed by AdventHealth and had previously worked for Capgemini.
Datla had been involved in cloud migration, automation and software deployment projects after moving to the United States for higher studies.
The United States Parachute Association, the governing body for skydiving in the country, said its technology director, Jen Sharp, was also among those killed.
Datla and several experienced skydivers were travelling in a 2010 Pacific Aerospace 750XL when it crashed shortly after taking off from Butler Memorial Airport just before 11.30 am on Sunday.
Federal investigators said all 12 people aboard the aircraft, including the pilot and 11 skydivers, were killed after the plane crashed into a field and burst into flames.
Shortly after take-off, the aircraft reportedly turned back for an unknown reason before losing control and crashing within the airport property.
Witnesses said the plane was around 100 feet above the ground when it made a sudden left turn before going down.
The aircraft appeared to be losing power, and the pilot may have been attempting to reach a nearby highway for an emergency landing when the plane stalled and crashed nose-first, acting airport manager Dennis Jacobs said.
US National Transportation Safety Board Vice-Chairman Michael Graham said investigators were interviewing witnesses and collecting photographs and videos of the crash.
He said it was too early to determine the exact cause of the accident.
The aircraft did not have a black box similar to those installed on commercial planes. However, investigators will examine other electronic devices that may provide information about the aircraft’s final moments.
The Pacific Aerospace 750XL is a single-engine turboprop aircraft commonly used for skydiving operations. It is designed to carry parachutists quickly to jumping altitudes and can operate from short runways.
The aircraft involved in the crash was built in 2010 and had completed nine successful flights in the days before the accident, including two flights on Sunday morning, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.