A tragic mid-air collision between two small planes near Marana Regional Airport in Arizona has resulted in at least two fatalities, according to authorities. The incident occurred on Wednesday, with each aircraft carrying two occupants. While one plane managed a safe landing, the other crash-landed near the runway and caught fire, as reported by the US National Transportation Safety Board. The Marana Police confirmed the deaths but provided no further information.
This incident follows a series of recent aviation disasters, including a private jet crash involving a pilot linked to Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil and a deadly commuter plane crash in Alaska. Notably, a catastrophic collision involving an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane resulted in 67 deaths, marking the most deadly aviation event in the US since 2001.
The Marana airport, which has two intersecting runways, operates without an air traffic control tower. Plans for a multimillion-dollar control tower were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the airport managing tens of thousands of flights each year.