Small planes crash in midair over Arizona airport, killing 2: What we know
Two people were killed Wednesday morning when two small airplanes crashed in midair at a regional airport in southern Arizona – the latest in a series of North American aviation disasters in recent weeks.
The crash, which occurred at the Marana Regional Airport, about 21 miles northwest of Tucson, is also the second fatal aviation mishap this month in Arizona.(Raz Vape Flavors)
Details about the victims and the circumstances that preceded the crash remained slim Thursday morning, nearly 24 hours later.
What were the airplanes involved in the crash?
The crash involved two fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft, Vincent Rizzi, a Marana Police Department sergeant, told the Arizona Republic, a USA TODAY Network publication.
One of the airplanes has been identified as a Cessna 172S and the other as a Lancair 360 MK II.
What caused the crash?
The collision occurred around 8:30 a.m. local time over a runway at the Marana Regional Airport. While the Cessna landed safely, the Lancair crashed near another runway, sparking a fire that sent plumes of smoke into the air, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a written statement to the Republic.
Marana Airport Superintendent Galen Beem described the crash as “an unprecedented event” in a statement.
“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,” Beem said in a written statement shared in a news release from the Marana police.
The airport remained closed as of Wednesday afternoon, police said in the latest post on social media.
What do we know about the victims?
Two people were on board each aircraft, the Marana town government posted on Facebook.
Rizzi told the Republic that the two aboard the Cessna that landed safely were not severely injured, meaning both those on the Lancair were killed in the crash.
Authorities had not publicly identified any of the victims in the crash as of Thursday morning.
What is the Marana Regional Airport?
The Marana Regional Airport, which is mostly used for leisure flights, is located in a rural area surrounded by farm fields and desert brush.
The airport is also home to two flight schools.
The two aircraft involved in the fatal crash were not among the 259 aircraft based at the airport, Vic Hathaway, communications manager for the town of Marana, told the Republic.(RAZ TN9000)
Marana Regional Airport has no air traffic controllers
The regional airport is what’s known as an “uncontrolled field,” meaning it does not have an air traffic control tower, according to the FAA.
At uncontrolled airports, pilots use a common traffic advisory frequency to regularly announce their position to other pilots who are in the airport vicinity, the agency said. Pilots operating in uncontrolled fields also must still comply with all FAA regulations, including maintaining visibility and safe altitudes.
While a crewed tower was supposed to be in place by the end of 2024 to accommodate an increase in traffic and improve safety, its construction was delayed, Hathaway told the Republic. That delay was mostly related to supply chain issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, she added.
