‘Multiple casualties’ reported after two planes collide over California airport, authorities say
Aug 18, 2022, 9:30 PM
Authorities confirmed multiple fatalities after two planes collided over a California airport. Photo credit: KGO.
(CNN) — Authorities confirmed there were “multiple casualties” after two planes crashed mid-air over the Watsonville Municipal Airport Thursday afternoon, city Fire Department Division Chief Rudy Lopez told CNN.
A single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 collided during their final decent into the airport, according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. One person was on board the Cessna 152 and two people were on board the Cessna 340, the FAA statement said.
No one was injured on the ground, the FAA added.
The report came in just before 3 p.m., according to a Twitter post from the city, which added “multiple agencies” were reporting to the incident.
The city of Watsonville is about an hour south of San Jose.
In a later statement, city officials said they were “absolutely saddened to hear about the tragic incident that took the lives of several people.”
“The City of Watsonville sends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who passed,” the statement said.
Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, the FAA statement said. In a post on Twitter, the NTSB confirmed it was investigating the mid-air collision.
It is not clear what caused the two planes to collide.
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