Two dead after seventh plane crash in three weeks
Horror images show a plane left in smouldering pieces after a mid-air crash that has left two people dead in what is the seventh air disaster in three weeks.
Two people are dead after two planes collided mid-air at an airport in Arizona in the seventh air disaster in the US in just three weeks.
Shocking photos show the smouldering crash site after the planes slammed into each other at the Marana Regional Airport outside Tucson, Arizona, on Wednesday, the US Sun reports.
First responders raced to the airport at 8.30am (local time) after reports of a downed aircraft.
They quickly determined that a Cessna 172S and Lancair 360 MK II had collided mid-air.
Two people were on each of the planes, and one of the aircraft was reportedly still intact, according to helicopter footage seen by ABC affiliate KGUN.
Images captured by bystanders showed black smoke filling the sky and aerial footage from the crash site showed at least one of the planes in pieces with parts of it left smouldering in a field.
Another plane was seen surrounded by police tape at the airport but it wasn’t immediately known if it was involved in the crash.
The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating what led up to the collision and details about it are sparse.
The Marana Police Department didn’t immediately return the US Sun’s request for comment as first responders were still on site.
The airspace around the airport is uncontrolled, meaning there’s no air traffic control tower.
A tower was supposed to be installed by the end of 2024 but the new deadline for installation is 2029 due to delays during the pandemic, according to local reports. Pilots flying in uncontrolled fields are expected to announce their position to other pilots who are at or near the airport.
It’s the pilot’s responsibility to ensure they maintain a safe distance from other aircraft – and they still have to follow FAA regulations.
This includes complying with minimum visibilities, minimum safe altitudes, and right-of-way rules.
Series of disasters
The wreck outside Tucson marks the seventh plane crash in three weeks following the devastating midair collision in Washington DC that killed 67.
Earlier this week, a Delta plane crashed on a snowy runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.
Chilling footage showed the aircraft upside down on the runway as passengers were stuck in their seats, hanging like bats.
The travellers were forced to escape the plane by climbing out of doors and windows.
Miraculously, all 80 passengers onboard survived.
Two days later, an air ambulance crash in Philadelphia killed seven people when it crashed just 30 seconds after takeoff.
Earlier this month, a pilot was killed and four others were injured when a private jet crashed on a runway at the Scottsdale Airport, just 150km north of Marana.
The private jet belonged to Motley Crue singer Vince Neil, and his girlfriend Rain Hannah was hurt in the crash.
Before that, a small commuter plane heading to Nome, Alaska, crashed in the icy tundra, sparking a desperate search.
Tragically, all 10 people on board the flight were found dead in the crashed plane.
Troubling trend
Worries over the safety of planes and US skies are mounting after the series of plane disasters.
But an expert told the US Sun that the apparent uptick in crashes is the result of “random clustering”.
“Naturally, recent plane crashes such as the Delta plane flipping on landing in Toronto and the midair collision at Reagan National in DC, have raised public awareness and concerns about the safety of flying,” Jason Matzus, an attorney at Matzus Law, said.
“While these events are tragic, the likely explanation is simply ‘random clustering,’ which occurs when multiple crashes occur over a short period.”
He said the coverage of the crashes warps our general perception and causes us to think there is an increasing trend in plane crashes.
“When in reality these crashes, despite being so close together, are merely coincidental and not caused by a systemic safety issue,” Mr Law said.
“Our perception of an increasing trend is often amplified by media coverage.
“The reality remains that air travel is statistically the safest form of travel and the spate of recent crashes isn’t necessary indicative of an actual increase in frequency of plane crashes.”
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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