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By Jesus Mesa and Gabe Whisnant
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Two small planes collided in midair Wednesday morning near Marana, Arizona, leaving two people dead according to officials.
Two people were on board each plane, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Newsweek in an email.
The Marana Police Department confirmed that the two fatalities occurred aboard the crashed aircraft, and responders were unable to provide medical assistance. Sgt. Vincent Rizzi of the Marana Police Department later said that the two occupants of the other plane were unharmed.
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Why It Matters
The crash adds to a growing number of recent aviation incidents. On Monday, a Delta Air Lines jet overturned while landing in extreme winds—just weeks after a Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger plane over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., killing all 64 passengers and three helicopter crew members.
Last week, a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil veered off a runway in Scottsdale, Arizona and collided with a business jet, resulting in the death of one of its two pilots.
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The Trump administration is facing scrutiny for laying off hundreds of probationary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees just weeks after the deadliest U.S. crash in nearly 25 years. A Newsweek map shows at least 38 significant aviation accidents—both fatal and nonfatal—involving military or civilian aircraft in the U.S. this year.
What To Know
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II collided at Marana Regional Airport around 8:45 a.m. local time.
On Thursday, the FAA said that the Cessna 172S was struck from behind by the Lancair 360 MK II during the approach phase of the flight. In addition, the FAA said the Cessna 172S was being used for instruction, while the Lancair 360 MK II was being used for personal purposes.
The operator of the Cessna —AeroGuard, a commercial flight training school — told the Associated Press that its two pilots were not injured. AeroGuard declined to comment on specifics of the collision but said it's working closely with the investigative agencies.
Marana Regional Airport is located in southern Arizona, about 15 miles northwest of Tucson and five miles west of Interstate 10. According to The Associated Press, Marana's airport features two intersecting runways but operates without an air traffic control tower.
A multimillion-dollar project to construct a tower was in progress, but COVID-19-related delays postponed construction. Despite this, the airport handles tens of thousands of flights annually.
At non-towered airports, pilots communicate on a designated radio frequency to announce their intentions for landing and takeoff, Jeff Guzzetti, an airline safety consultant and former FAA and NTSB investigator told The Associated Press.
Lack of a control tower does not inherently make an airport unsafe, he noted, as pilots follow established procedures to coordinate movements and maintain safety.
Newsweek has emailed the Marana Regional Airport on Wednesday for comment.
What To Know
After social media users and media outlets reported the crash, the Marana Police Department confirmed the collision, stating that at least one person had died.
According to earlier reports, the aircraft, a Cessna 172, went down during landing amid poor weather conditions, with low visibility and gusty winds complicating the approach.
Marana Regional Airport (AVQ) serves as a general aviation reliever airport for Tucson International and accommodates over 260 based aircraft.
The airport features a 6,901-foot main runway and a 3,892-foot crosswind runway, supporting a variety of aviation activities.
What People Are Saying
Aeroguard said in a statement to the Associated Press: "We are deeply saddened by the two fatalities from this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones during this difficult time."
Guzzetti told the AP: "All the pilots should be broadcasting on this common traffic advisory frequency. And there's also a responsibility to see and avoid. Each pilot is responsible to see and avoid so they don't collide with each other."
Chris D. Jackson, a Democratic strategist, posted on X: "Every day, there's a new crash, all while Trump guts the FAA."
Najmedin Meshkati, a professor of engineering and international relations at the University of Southern California (USC), wrote in Newsweek: "These potentially catastrophic events emerge from the complex interaction of human, organizational, and technological factors among three critical stakeholders: air traffic controllers and the flight crews of converging aircraft."
What Happens Next?
The new administration is aware of the struggles in American aviation safety, which appears to have influenced their decision to exclude air traffic controllers from the "buyout" offered as part of efforts to reduce the federal workforce.
On Monday, new Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that Elon Musk's SpaceX team would be visiting the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia on Tuesday, in order to "get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system."
However, the Trump administration is currently under scrutiny for letting hundreds of probationary FAA employees go only weeks after the deadliest U.S crash in nearly a quarter century.
The NTSB investigation of the D.C. plane crash is still ongoing, with more details on what led to the catastrophe likely to emerge over the coming weeks and months.
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.
Update: 2/19/25, 11:52 a.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 12:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 12:58 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 1:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 1:29 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 1:35 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with statements from the NTSB and FAA.
Update: 2/19/25, 2:13 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with reporting to reflect that two people are now confirmed to be dead in the collision.
Update: 2/19/25, 2:36 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 3:13 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 4:54 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/19/25, 7:48 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and remarks.
Update: 2/20/25, 3:06 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and remarks.
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