Marana plane crash: At least two dead after mid-air collision between two small planes at Arizona airport
At least two people were killed on Wednesday after two small planes collided at Marana Regional Airport (AVQ) in Southern Arizona.
The airport, which is located approximately 20 miles northwest of Tucson, does not have an active air traffic control tower, meaning it operates in uncontrolled airspace.
The Marana Police Department confirmed the incident in a social media post, saying: "Two confirmed and both planes were smaller fixed wing single engine planes. The Marana Police Department is currently on scene.”
Blake Phillips, a reporter with Tucson’s ABC affiliate KGUN 9, also confirmed that the death toll had risen to two. Police reported that four people in total were involved in the crash, but it remains unclear if the other two sustained injuries. The collision reportedly occurred just before 8.30am.
According to multiple reports, the aircraft involved were a Lancair 360 MK II and a Cessna 172S Skylane. Flight tracking service Flightradar24 identified the Lancair 360 as N3602M, an experimental aircraft built in 2001. The Cessna 172S, registered as ASI85, was originally built in 2015 for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University but is currently operated by AeroGuard Flight Training Center, a commercial airline pilot training school.