MARANA, Ariz. (NEXSTAR) — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating a deadly aircraft collision near the Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona.
Police in Marana first confirmed news of the deadly incident just before 12 p.m. MST on Wednesday. They had initially reported “at least” one fatality, but two people were later confirmed to be dead, the Associated Press reported.
“Details are limited at this time,” the department said in a Facebook post.
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Both the FAA and NTSB later confirmed a midair collision between the two small planes — a Lancair 360 MK and a Cessna 172 — at just after 8:25 a.m. There were two people in each plane, the FAA said.
Following the collision, the Cessna landed “uneventfully” at the airport, while the Lancair crashed near a runway, where “a post-impact fire ensued,” the NTSB said.
Law enforcement at the site of a deadly plane crash at Marana Regional Airport after a deadly crash in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb 19, 2025. (KNXV via AP)
The FAA further noted that Marana Regional Airport is considered an “uncontrolled field,” meaning it does not have an air traffic control (ATC) tower. Rather, pilots flying in the field are responsible for communicating their positions to other aircraft operators.
Both agencies will be investigating the cause of the crash. The NTSB is also asking any witnesses to contact the agency at [email protected].
Marana Regional Airport did not immediately respond to Nexstar’s request for comment.
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There have been multiple major aviation disasters in North America in the last month, with the most recent involving a Delta jet that flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto and the deadly crash of commuter plane in Alaska. In late January, 67 people aboard an American Airlines passenger were killed when an Army helicopter collided with it in Washington, D.C., marking the country’s deadliest aviation disaster since 2001. Just a day later, a medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood on Jan. 31, exploding in a fireball that engulfed several homes. That crash killed seven people, including all those aboard, and injured 19 others.
This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
