Two people died in an air collision involving two small aircraft in southern Arizona, on Wednesday morning, 19, authorities said. Federal air safety investigators said each plane was carrying two people when they collided near the Marana Regional Airport on the outskirts of Tucson.
A Cessna 172 landed without incidents, while a Lancaair 360 MK II hit the ground near a track and caught fire, according to the National Transport Security Council (NTSB), which is leading the investigation and cited preliminary information before arrival. of their investigators.
The Marana Police Department confirmed that the two people who died were aboard one of the aircraft and said rescuers were unable to provide medical treatment. Police did not identify which plane they were in, but the Cessna – Aerguard operator, a commercial flight training school – said his two riders were not injured. None of the planes were based on Marana airport, the city said.
The Municipal Fire Department helped extinguish the flames, said Sergeant Vincent Rizzi of the Marana police. Aerguard spokesman Matt Panichas refused to comment on the details of the collision, but said he is working closely with the investigative agencies. “We are deeply saddened by the two fatalities of this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones during this difficult time,” Panichas said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Historic
The collision occurred more than a week after a plane crash in Scotttsdale who killed one of two pilots of a private jet owned by Mötley Crü singer Vince Neil. This aircraft left the track and hit an executive jet.
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It also occurred after four major air disasters that occurred in North America in the last month. The most recent involved a Delta jet that overturned by landing in Toronto (Canada) and the fatal accident of a passenger transport aircraft in Alaska.
In late January, 67 people died in an air collision in Washington, DC, involving an American Airlines passenger jet and an army helicopter, marking the deadliest air disaster in the United States since 2001.
Just a day later, a medical transport jet with a patient, his mother and four other people on board fell into a Filadelphia neighborhood, exploding in a fireball that swallowed several houses. This accident killed seven people, including all on board, and injured another 19.
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Airport without Control Tower
Marana airport has two crossing tracks and operates without an air traffic control tower. A project of several million dollars was underway to build a tower, but delays due to the pandemic postponed the construction.
Most airports in the US do not have air traffic control towers. In these air spaces, pilots use a radio channel designated to announce their landing and takeoff intentions, said Jeff Guzzetti, air safety consultant and former federal aviation and NTSB Federal Administration Investigator.
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The fact that an airport does not have a control tower does not mean insecure, he said. “All pilots should transmit at a common frequency of traffic consultancy. And there is also a responsibility to see and avoid. Each pilot is responsible for seeing and avoiding not to collide with each other, ”said Guzzetti.
