Two planes crash in Arizona - here's what we know so far

Two people have been left dead after two planes collided mid-air at an airport in Arizona on Wednesday (19 February).

The incident happened at Marana Regional Airport in Arizona at around 8:25 a.m. local time when a Lancair 360 MK II and a Cessna 172S plane crashed mid-air near the uncontrolled airfield – an airport with no operating air traffic control tower.

There were two people onboard each of the single-engine aircraft involved in the incident. The Cessna was able to land as normal, but the Lancair crashed into the ground close to the airfield’s other runway, according to local news.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the planes “collided while upwind of runway 12” – one of the two runways at the airport – but neither of the planes were based out of the airport.

The Marana Police Department confirmed two deaths from the incident, but details about the victims have not yet been released.

“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 in a statement.

“This is an unprecedented event, and we are grateful for the swift response from the Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District.”

The Marana Regional Airport is located around 15 miles northwest of Tucson. Without an air traffic control tower, pilots use a traffic advisory frequency to announce their position to other pilots in the vicinity.

The incident comes not long after the mid-air crash involving a commercial plane and a US military helicopter in Washington D.C. that killed all of those onboard both aircraft. Meanwhile, 80 people mercifully survived a crash that resulted in the plane being flipped over on the runway in Toronto, Canada.

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