At least two people have been reported dead after a mid-air collision involving two planes at Arizona’s Marana Airport this morning (February 19).
The accident, which occurred outside Tucson at 8:29 am local time, has shocked the aviation community and citizens at large, as it follows a string of deadly aviation disasters across North America.
Images of the incident quickly spread via social media, showing the aftermath of the crash, with black smoke billowing over the airport.
Reports suggest that both planes were occupied at the time of the collision, though the exact number of passengers aboard remains unclear.
A mid-air collision between two planes at Arizona’s Marana Airport leaves at least two people dead
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed in a post on X that it is investigating the accident.
According to the Board, the models of the aircraft involved were a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II. The cause of the collision, however, has not yet been determined.
The devastating incident comes just days after a Delta Airlines flight carrying at least 80 people on board crash-landed in Toronto, flipping upside down upon impact. That crash resulted in several serious injuries but no fatalities.
Arizona was also the location of another gruesome crash, when a midsize business jet skidded off the runway while landing at Scottsdale Municipal Airport, colliding with another jet that was parked and causing the death of one person and four others to be injured.
Marana Regional Airport houses more than 260 aircraft and remains one of the busiest airports in the area, with at least 90,000 takeoffs and landings in 2014.
The incident is the latest in an ever-increasing series of recent deadly aviation accidents
The NTSB has been probing three additional deadly crashes: the mid-air collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army helicopter that ended the lives of 67 people, a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that resulted in seven casualties, and a crash in Alaska with a deadly toll of 10.
Speaking to Bored Panda, former airline pilot and PhD in political science from the University of Missouri, Dr. Daniel Bubb, said that the string of accidents will prompt a reevaluation of security measures for airplanes.
“There is considerable perplexion among pilots as to what’s happening,” Dr. Bubb said.
Referring to the crash between the American Airlines jet and the military helicopter, Dr. Bubb said, “This accident might prompt conversation about the danger of military and civilian operations at an airport that is so tightly controlled.”
Dr. Bubb also mentioned the importance of air traffic control towers, explaining that communication between them and airplanes lacking specialized detection systems is crucial to avoid emergencies.
Marana Regional Airport, despite its recurrent usage, remains unequipped with an air traffic control tower, although there are plans to outfit the location with one by 2027.
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