Two persons were killed after two light planes crashed in mid-air at an Arizona airfield on Wednesday.
According to reports, a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II collided near Marana Regional Airport at 8:28 a.m. (local time).
One of the airport’s two runways stated that the fixed-wing single-engine planes “collided while upwind of runway 12.”
According to the NTSB, the Cessna landed “uneventfully,” but the Lancair hit terrain near the other runway, resulting in a “post-impact fire.”
The Marana Police Department said two people have died due to the incident.
In a news release, the Town of Marana announced that two people were on each plane, However, it did not mention their conditions.
The airport has been shut and investigations are ongoing.
Airport Superintendent Galen Beem condoled with the individuals and families impacted by this event.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the airport was an “uncontrolled field,” which does not have an operating air traffic control tower.
Pilots often use a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency to announce their position to other pilots who are near the airport. Pilots operating in uncontrolled fields still need to follow all federal aviation regulations.
An NTSB investigator is expected to arrive on Thursday morning (local time) to document the scene and analyse the aircraft, reports.
The incident comes after several aviation incidents which started with midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, which claimed the lives of 67 people due to a collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional.
Despite the aviation incidents in the past month, January’s preliminary data from the NTSB shows there was a low number of flight incidents among private and commercial aircraft across the nation.
The aircraft are not as heavily regulated as those functioning under Part 121 rules, the set of FAA rules followed by major air carriers.
Private and general aviation aircraft comply different, less strict FAA rules, however, they are still inspected and maintained.
