KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.
—
Friends and family are mourning the 12 people who lost their lives in a skydiving plane crash Sunday in Butler, Missouri.
James Marchello knew one of the victims, Jenn Sharp, and visited the crash scene Tuesday to leave flowers in her memory — 11 red roses for the other victims and a white flower in the middle for Jenn, tied to a post with parachute cable and a note.
"A friend of mine was on the plane, and she's a wonderful person," Marchello said. "She was just a happy person that made everybody feel good."
Marchello said he and Sharp had a long history in the skydiving community.
"I used to be one of her pilots when she had her own drop zone in Osage City," Marchello said. "When she showed up, she would always say, 'Hey, Jim, you're my favorite pilot."
Friends and family say Sharp was also known as "Dr. Jenn Sharp." She was an experienced skydiver and worked for the U.S. Parachute Association.
As the community processes the loss, mental health resources are being made available to those affected. Code One Wellness is helping families and first responders who worked the crash.
"It seems so unreal to those who are going through such a traumatic incident," said Vanessa Kennedy, Code One Wellness CEO. "They do have our cards to contact us if they choose to talk with a therapist, Sarah Smith, who was one of our therapists on scene."
The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate. Investigators are interviewing witnesses, removing wreckage and sending anything salvageable back to Washington, D.C.
"Our mission is to determine the probable cause and then make recommendations to prevent future tragedies like this from happening again," NTSB Vice Chairman Michael Graham said during a press briefing Monday.
The NTSB says a preliminary report should be out within the next 30 days.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
