Small aircraft collision in Arizona adds up recent US aviation disasters

LOS ANGELES -- At least two people were confirmed dead after two small planes collided midair at the Marana Regional Airport in the US state of Arizona on Wednesday, which marks the latest in a string of aviation disasters in the United States.

A Cessna 172S and Lancair 360 MK II collided while upwind of runway 12 on Wednesday morning, according to preliminary information from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Both planes were smaller fixed wing single engine planes, according to the Marina Police Department. Both aircraft had two passengers each.

The Cessna landed uneventfully, while the Lancair impacted terrain near the other runway, and a post-impact fire ensued, according to the NTSB.

The Marana Police Department was on scene at the airport to handle the aircraft collision.

The NTSB and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the accident.

According to the FAA, the airport is an "uncontrolled field" that does not have an air traffic control tower in use. Pilots use a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency to communicate with other planes in the vicinity of the airport.

It is the responsibility of the pilot-in-command to maintain a safe distance from other aircraft in the area, Fox News reported.

Wednesday's accident marks the latest in a string of aviation disasters starting from the plane crash in Washington, D.C. late January.

On Jan. 29, an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C., sending both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River and killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft.

The D.C. airplane crash was one of the deadliest aircraft disasters in US history.

On Jan. 31, a medical Learjet 55 crashed shortly after takeoff in Philadelphia, killing all six passengers, including a pediatric patient and her mother. One person on the ground was also killed, and at least 22 others were injured.

On Feb. 10, a Learjet 35A veered off the runway and collided with a parked Gulfstream 200 upon landing at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, leaving one dead and four others injured.

A CRJ-900 Delta Air Lines regional jet, with 76 passengers and four crew members from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, flipped on its roof on Monday afternoon while landing at Canada's Toronto Pearson International Airport, injuring 21 of the 80 people on the flight.

The recent airplane accidents have raised concerns about aviation safety and air traffic control at regional airports.