Two people have reportedly lost their lives after a mid-air collision between two planes at Marana Regional Airport in Arizona.
The Marana Police Department confirmed the crash, which took place near Tucson, and stated that both aircraft had occupants at the time of impact, according to Mirror.
Eyewitnesses described seeing thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site as emergency responders rushed to the scene.
Initially, authorities reported one fatality, but a later update confirmed that a second person had died. Officials have yet to release the identities of the victims.
In its first statement, the Marana Police Department said: “The Marana Police Department is currently on-scene at the Marana Regional Airport located at 11700 W. Avra Valley Rd. in reference to an aircraft collision.
“There has been at least one confirmed deceased individual. Details are limited at this time. Media staging will be in the large dirt parking lot outside of the Marana Regional Airport. FAA and NTSB will be responding.”
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the collision.
While the FAA will assess safety and regulatory concerns, the NTSB will focus on reconstructing the events that led to the crash.
This tragedy follows a string of recent aviation accidents in the United States.
On Monday, a Delta Airlines flight in Toronto flipped upside down, leaving passengers suspended as fuel leaked through the windows. Of the 21 injured, 19 have since been discharged from the hospital.
