Small plane crash outside Butler, Missouri. Occupants parachute to saftey.

BUTLER, Mo. (AP) — Six skydivers and a pilot on board a small plane parachuted to safety before it crashed near a county airport in western Missouri, leaving the plane “a total loss,” officials said.

Preliminary information indicates the plane that crashed early Saturday afternoon was flying a skydiving mission, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The wreckage was found in a field east of the runways at Butler Memorial Airport, the Bates County Sheriff’s Office said on social media. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a single-engine Cessna.

According to the Bates County Sheriff’s Office, “On arrival to the scene, first responders found the airplane in a hay field east of the runways. The pilot had been able to parachute from the plane prior to the plane crashing and was located at a hanger at the airport.

Everyone involved was treated by ems and released at the scene. The plane is a total loss.

Thank you to Butler Fire, Adrian Fire, Butler Police and Bates County EMS for your response and assistance at the scene.”

The crash happened near the airport about 62 miles (98 kilometers) south of Kansas City. Wreckage will be recovered and examined by the NTSB as part of its investigation.