US: Two Dead After Planes Collide In Midair In Southern Arizona

Two people were killed Wednesday in the midair collision of two single-engine planes in southern Arizona.

The planes collided at around 8:25 a.m. local time near the Marana Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said on its website. One landed safely while the other hit the ground near a runway and caught fire. The Marana Police Department confirmed that two people had died.

The collision occurred about 30 miles northwest of the larger Tucson International Airport. Each plane was carrying two passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board identified the planes as a Lancair 360 MK II craft and a Cessna 172S, which managed to land safely. The NTSB will lead the investigation.

The crash is the latest in a spate of aviation disasters in North America — the most recent involving a Delta jet that flipped over while landing in Toronto.

The Marana Regional Airport lacks an air traffic control tower, with construction slated for 2027, according to project updates outlined on its website. The FAA website refers to it as an “uncontrolled field.”