Two dead in midair plane crash at Marana airport

MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two single-engine fixed-wing planes collided midair at the Marana Regional Airport Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m., according to the Town of Marana. A press release from the town says four people total were on the two planes.

Two people in a Lancair 3600 were killed in the crash. The two in a Cessna 172 were uninjured, according to the town of Marana. KGUN 9 was on-scene following the story throughout the day.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA are investigating.

Watch KGUN 9's full team coverage above.

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KGUN 9's Craig Smith provides insight into the type of plane involved in the crash, and the investigation that will take place:

The plane destroyed in the crash was a Lancair 3600. It’s a kit plane but that does not mean it’s unsophisticated. It’s a very modern design made mostly of composite materials like carbon fiber and fiberglass.

PHOTO OF CRASHED LANCAIR PLANE:

The Lancair 3600 has a reputation as a high-performance plane best left to a highly experienced pilot.

Investigating this sort of plane crash is a little similar to the way police might investigate a fatal car wreck.

They will look at the wreckage and probably pull some of it into a lab for close analysis.

In this case, there’s no black box on a small plane.

They will seek out witnesses, look for any camera that may have caught the crash, listen to radio traffic, and look at radar tracks. It’s not a quick process.

For example, a crop duster crashed into a Marana neighborhood in October.

Five months later, the NTSB has just a preliminary report with just a few details. A final report is still pending and probably several months away.

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UPDATE 4:15 p.m.:

KGUN 9's Marana reporter Madison Thomas has an update on the plane crash:

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UPDATE 2:57 p.m.:

Marana Airport superintendent Galen Beem issued the following statement:

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

READ FULL TOWN OF MARANA STATEMENT

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UPDATE 12:00 p.m.:

According to an FAA statement, the two planes in Marana collided in midair. Two are confirmed dead. Two people were on board the Lancair and two others were on board the Cessna 172. Helicopter footage from Scripps News Group shows the Cessna intact:

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UPDATE 11:12 a.m.: Marana Police have now confirmed two dead in the plane crash involving two planes this morning at Marana Regional Airport.

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UPDATE 10:25 a.m.: Marana Police have confirmed that two planes were involved in the crash and both were occupied, according to KGUN 9 reporter Blake Phillips.

An investigation is underway.

Watch the KGUN 9 news report at 11:

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A crash has occurred at Marana Regional Airport, 11700 W. Avra Valley Road, Wednesday morning, KGUN 9 has confirmed with airport personnel.

According to a social media post by Marana Police Department, one person is confirmed dead. MPD refers to the crash as an "aircraft collision."

KGUN 9's Blake Phillips has learned from the Town of Marana that this was a plane crash. The FAA and NTSB are investigating, Marana spokespeople say.

Viewer-submitted photos show smoke in the direction of the airport:

KGUN 9's crew on scene is working to learn more about the nature of the crash and whether injuries have occurred.

Marana reporter Madison Thomas previously reported in November about project delays to the airport's air traffic control tower.

RELATED | Air traffic control tower project at Marana Regional Airport has new deadline after project delay

Little else is known at this time, and KGUN 9 will update this article when we learn more on this breaking news.