2 Dead After 2 Small Planes Collide Midair In Arizona

Two people are dead after two small aircraft collided in midair at an Arizona airport Wednesday, authorities said.

A Cessna 172S and Lancair 360 MK II collided at 8:28 a.m. near the Marana Regional Airport, just northwest of Tucson, according to preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The single-engine planes “collided while upwind of runway 12,” one of two runways at the airport. The Cessna landed, and the Lancair crashed and burned near the other runway, the NTSB said.

The Marana Police Department confirmed two deaths from the incident. Two people were on each plane, the Town of Marana said in a news release.

The operator of the Cessna – AeroGuard, a commercial flight training school – said its two pilots were not injured, the Associated Press reported.

The airport is closed while the investigation is ongoing, the town said.

“On behalf of the Town of Marana and the Marana Regional Airport, our hearts go out to all the individuals and families impacted by this event,” airport Superintendent Galen Beem said. “We are grateful for the swift response from the Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District.”

“We are deeply saddened by the two fatalities from this tragic accident,” Matt Panichas, a spokesperson for AeroGuard, said in a statement to AP.

Source:- CNN

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