Midair Collision at Arizona Airport Claims Two Lives

At least two people lost their lives after two small single-engine planes collided in midair Wednesday morning at an Arizona airport, officials reported.

The incident involved a Lancair 360 MK II and a Cessna 172S, which crashed into each other at Marana Regional Airport shortly before 8:30 a.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. This airport operates without a control tower, about 21 miles northwest of Tucson.

The scene was attended by Marana police, who provided updates on Facebook, while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will conduct a thorough investigation.

Preliminary findings from the NTSB suggest the aircraft “collided while upwind of runway 12.” Following the crash, the Cessna made a safe landing, whereas the Lancair “crashed near runway 3, resulting in a fire after impact.”

Each plane was carrying two passengers, though no further details were immediately available regarding their identities or conditions.

In the absence of a control tower, pilots at such airports communicate using a common traffic advisory frequency, constantly updating each other about their position. It is the responsibility of the pilot-in-command to ensure a safe distance from other aircraft.

Despite the lack of tower control, pilots must adhere to federal aviation regulations, which include rules on minimum visibility, safe altitudes, and determining right-of-way.

This tragedy is part of a series of recent aircraft accidents, including a fire-filled crash landing in Toronto, a deadly air ambulance incident in Philadelphia on January 31, and a midair collision involving an Army helicopter and a commercial airplane, which resulted in the death of all 67 people on board both aircraft, marking it as the most fatal U.S. air crash in nearly 25 years.