Two people were killed when a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II collided midair near Marana Regional Airport in southern Arizona on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m., with the Lancair crashing and catching fire, while the Cessna landed safely. The identities of the victims, who were from out of town, have not been released. Marana Airport operates without a control tower, relying on pilots to communicate. The town has been seeking to build a tower, delayed to 2029. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash amid increasing aviation accidents.
On Wednesday morning, two individuals lost their lives when two small aircraft collided midair near a regional airport in southern Arizona, according to officials.
The involved planes, a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II, each carried two occupants at the time of the incident, which occurred just before 8:30 a.m. near Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona, as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board. Following the collision, the Lancair crashed near a runway and subsequently caught fire, while the Cessna landed “uneventfully,” as stated in an email from the N.T.S.B.
The two individuals aboard the Lancair tragically died, while the occupants of the Cessna emerged unscathed, officials indicated.
While the identities of those who perished have not yet been disclosed, Vic Hathaway, the town’s communications manager, mentioned that they were visitors from out of town.
Marana Airport operates as an “uncontrolled field,” meaning it lacks an active air traffic control tower and relies on pilots to announce their positions to one another via a common traffic advisory frequency.
According to Ms. Hathaway, Marana is participating in a five-year program with the Federal Aviation Administration aimed at establishing an air traffic control tower by the end of 2024. However, construction has been postponed due to the pandemic, with a new target set for the end of 2029.
Ms. Hathaway mentioned that the town had been advocating for a control tower due to rapid local growth, and because Marana Airport is utilized to alleviate traffic from Tucson International Airport, located approximately 30 miles southeast of the town.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which follows a series of aviation accidents. In late January, a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet in Washington, resulting in 67 fatalities. Most recently, a Delta Air Lines jet overturned on the tarmac while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday, although all passengers on board survived.
Just last week in Arizona, a small aircraft owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil went off the runway at Scottsdale Airport and collided with a parked jet, resulting in one pilot’s death and injuries to three others.