Six skydivers and a pilot parachute to safety before small plane crashes in Missouri

BUTLER, Mo. (AP) — Six skydivers and a pilot are safe after parachuting out of a small plane before it crashed near a county airport in western Missouri. Officials say the plane is “a total loss.” According to the National Transportation Safety Board, preliminary information indicates the plane that crashed early Saturday afternoon was flying a skydiving mission. Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson says all passengers parachuted to safety before the pilot did the same.