Two confirmed dead as planes collide mid-air at regional airport

Awful news

The crash, which occurred at around 8.30am local time on Wednesday (19 February), involved a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II. Each plane had two people on board.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that one plane managed to land as normal, but the other caught fire after hitting the ground near the runway.

Marana Police Department confirmed that both of the fatalities came from one of the aircraft. The other two people involved, who were aboard the other aircraft, were uninjured.

“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 written statement.

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

The airport is temporarily closed with an investigation currently underway.

Marana Regional Airport is an uncontrolled field, meaning that it does not have an operating air traffic control tower.

Pilots are responsible for using a traffic advisory frequency to confirm their position to other pilots in the surrounding area in uncontrolled fields.

They are also supposed to comply with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, including right-of-way rules, minimum safety altitudes and minimum altitudes.

The airport is enrolled in the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower Program, which would allow Marana to get an airport control tower.