Pilot 'parachutes out of crashing plane with six other passengers on board'

Six people miraculously managed to survive a plane crash on Saturday afternoon after the pilot parachuted out of the aircraft near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, Missouri.

The plane, a single-engine Cessna C206, crashed in a hay field close to the airport, outside of Kansas City, just before 1pm on Saturday. 

The Bates County Sheriff’s Office said the aircraft was found just east of the runway.

The pilot had been wearing a parachute and was able to jump from the plane before the crash. He was found at a hangar at the airport.

It is unclear whether the other passengers were also able to escape the Cessna before it struck the ground.

Images taken from the scene show badly-mangled wreckage.  

The other six passengers were all treated and released at the scene, reports KCTV5.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

None of those involved have been identified.