An expert said the crash would’ve been ‘far less likely’ if the airport had a control tower
Multiple people have died after a rare, mid-air crash between two planes at a California airport, officials said.
The incident on Thursday afternoon happened at the Watsonville Municipal Airport in Watsonville – a town home to just over 50,000 people, and around 50 miles south of San Jose.
BREAKING: Two planes down at the Watsonville airport. We are being told that there are multiple fatalities. @KION546 pic.twitter.com/NWk9aYiCra
— Scott Rates (@RealScottRates) August 18, 2022
Emergency services rushed to the scene following news of the crash, but tragically, multiple fatalities were reported.
In the aftermath of the collision, an official tweeting from the City of Watsonville account said: “We are absolutely saddened to hear about the tragic incident that took the lives of several people. The City of Watsonville sends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who passed.”
A crash involving two planes attempting to land at Watsonville Municipal Airport may have resulted in "multiple" fatalities, according to the city. An update is expected tomorrow to provide further details.
Read more: https://t.co/zQ4FdZOtD7 pic.twitter.com/2eUvVOOWQ3— KION News Channel 46 (@KIONnews) August 19, 2022
Reacting to the tragic news, City of Watsonville Mayor Ari Parker said: “We are grieving tonight from this unexpected and sudden loss. I want to express my deepest and most heartfelt condolences.”
A post in the early hours of Friday morning confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board & the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was investigating the plane crash.
Multiple fatalities after mid-air plane crash at Watsonville airport. @nbcbayarea #SkyRanger over the scene. City officials say it happened as the 2 planes were trying to land around 3 pm. https://t.co/H9PGSIuP6K pic.twitter.com/DfIAQuHPdX
— Janelle Wang (@janellewang) August 18, 2022
The FAA said a single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 collided as their respective pilots were on their final approaches into the airport. One person was onboard the Cessna 152 and two were in the Cessna 340, though their identities, or whether they survived the crash, is yet to be confirmed.
No one on the ground at the site of the crash reported any injuries, despite the fact it happened just yards away from a street of residential homes.
Multiple agencies responded to Watsonville Municipal Airport after 2 planes attempting to land collided. We have reports of multiple fatalities.
Report came in at 2:56pm.
Investigation is underway, updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/pltHIAyw5p
— City of Watsonville (@WatsonvilleCity) August 18, 2022
Max Trescott, a general aviation pilot of 50 years and 22-year instructor who often flies in and out of the Watsonville airport, told the San Francisco Chronicle that a midair collision is extremely rare.
Flight data suggests the larger plane was going at about 178 knots in the final moments before the crash, which Trescott said was “extraordinarily fast” and likely twice as fast as the other plane.
The expert noted how Watsonville airport is included in the estimated 90% of airports in the US which have no control tower – which would allow pilots to communicate among themselves and identify their positions. Trescott said that if the crash would’ve been “far less likely” if the airport had a tower.
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