At least two people lost their lives after two small single-engine aircraft collided midair at an Arizona airport on Wednesday, authorities said. The Federal Aviation Administration said that a Lancair 360 MK II and a Cessna 172S collided at Marana Regional Airport just before 8:30 am local time. 

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In a post on Meta, police wrote, "Two confirmed dead and both planes were smaller fixed wing single engine planes." 

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In a statement, NTSB said that based on preliminary information, the "aircraft collided while upwind of runway 12". The Cessna "landed uneventfully," while the Lancair "impacted terrain near runway 3 and a post-impact fire ensued." 

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News Release: At approximately 8:30 AM on February 19, 2025, an incident involving two single-engine fixed-wing aircraft...

Posted by Marana Police Department on Wednesday, February 19, 2025

In the post on social media, Airport Superintendent Galen Beem said, "On behalf of the Town of Marana and the Marana Regional Airport, our hearts go out to all the individuals and families impacted by this event."

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"This is an unprecedented event, and we are grateful for the swift response from the Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District," Beem added. 

Local reports have mentioned that the airport, which is about 21 miles northwest of Tucson, is an uncontrolled field, which means that it does not have an operating air traffic control tower. 

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As quoted by local reports, the FAA said, "Pilots utilize a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) to regularly announce their position to other pilots who are in the airport vicinity." 

"The Pilot-in-Command is responsible for maintaining safe separation from other aircraft. Pilots operating into uncontrolled fields are still required to comply with all Federal Aviation Regulations, including minimum visibilities, minimum safe altitudes, and right-of-way rules," it added. 

NTSB and FAA have actively been investigating the incident. 

(With inputs from agencies)