A teacher, a cancer survivor and a new dad: victims of Missouri skydiving plane crash identified

A high school music teacher, a cancer survivor and a new father with two baby boys have been identified by family members as victims of a weekend skydiving plane crash in Missouri that killed 12 people. According to the Bates county department of emergency management, the aircraft, a Pacific Aerospace P750XL, was carrying nine experienced skydivers, two tandem jumpers and a pilot. All died when the plane – which had just taken off from the Butler, Missouri , airport south of Kansas City – took an unexpected turn and nosedived into the ground 300 yards from the runway. Music teacher Dave Hershberger, named as one of the 12 victims, was being mourned by students at Oak Park high school, and Antioch middle school where he also taught, as reported by ABC News affiliate KMBC. The popular educator, who worked for the North Kansas City school district for 11 years, was also a veteran skydiver whose account on Facebook was filled with images of him on tandem jumps. Hershberger, who taught band and orchestra, was “not only a passionate educator and talented musician, but one of the kindest humans,” the principals of both schools said in a joint statement. The mother of Matthew Swope, 39, paid tribute to her son in a Facebook post that requested prayers for his family, including three sisters and two brothers. Dorcie Swope, a widow, said her son “died doing what he loved best”. …