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“I’m Afraid To Fly”: Two Planes Collide Mid-Air In Arizona Days After Toronto Crash Landing
At least two people have been reported dead after a mid-air collision involving two planes at Arizona’s Marana Airport this morning (February 19).
The accident, which occurred outside Tucson at 8:29 am local time, has shocked the aviation community and citizens at large, as it follows a string of deadly aviation disasters across North America.
Highlights
- Mid-air collision at Marana Airport leaves two dead in Arizona.
- Collision planes identified as Cessna 172S and Lancair 360 MK II.
- Incident comes as string of aviation accidents raises security concerns in North America.
Images of the incident quickly spread via social media, showing the aftermath of the crash, with black smoke billowing over the airport.
Reports suggest that both planes were occupied at the time of the collision, though the exact number of passengers aboard remains unclear.
RELATED:
A mid-air collision between two planes at Arizona’s Marana Airport leaves at least two people dead
Image credits: Pixabay/Pexels (Not the actual photo)
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed in a post on X that it is investigating the accident.
According to the Board, the models of the aircraft involved were a Cessna 172S and a Lancair 360 MK II. The cause of the collision, however, has not yet been determined.
Image credits: Wikimedia
The devastating incident comes just days after a Delta Airlines flight carrying at least 80 people on board crash-landed in Toronto, flipping upside down upon impact. That crash resulted in several serious injuries but no fatalities.
Image credits: BlakePhillipsTV
Arizona was also the location of another gruesome crash, when a midsize business jet skidded off the runway while landing at Scottsdale Municipal Airport, colliding with another jet that was parked and causing the death of one person and four others to be injured.
Marana Regional Airport houses more than 260 aircraft and remains one of the busiest airports in the area, with at least 90,000 takeoffs and landings in 2014.
The incident is the latest in an ever-increasing series of recent deadly aviation accidents
Image credits: BlakePhillipsTV
The NTSB has been probing three additional deadly crashes: the mid-air collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and a US Army helicopter that ended the lives of 67 people, a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that resulted in seven casualties, and a crash in Alaska with a deadly toll of 10.
Image credits: Daily Mail
Speaking to Bored Panda, former airline pilot and PhD in political science from the University of Missouri, Dr. Daniel Bubb, said that the string of accidents will prompt a reevaluation of security measures for airplanes.
“There is considerable perplexion among pilots as to what’s happening,” Dr. Bubb said.
Referring to the crash between the American Airlines jet and the military helicopter, Dr. Bubb said, “This accident might prompt conversation about the danger of military and civilian operations at an airport that is so tightly controlled.”
Image credits: ErrolWebber
Dr. Bubb also mentioned the importance of air traffic control towers, explaining that communication between them and airplanes lacking specialized detection systems is crucial to avoid emergencies.
Marana Regional Airport, despite its recurrent usage, remains unequipped with an air traffic control tower, although there are plans to outfit the location with one by 2027.
“I’m afraid to fly.” Netizens took to social media to share their fear as the string of deadly incidents continues
Image credits: blockxs
Image credits: D_L_Nissen
Image credits: yourdailybirds
Image credits: NevineMelikian
Image credits: ChrisJohnstonVO
Image credits: _Saarage_
Image credits: BAEMATT83
Image credits: Debfornow
Image credits: Orchards_Scar
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What do you think ?
UKGrandad 10 months ago
"Reports suggest that both planes were occupied at the time of the collision.." As opposed to one of them flying without so much as a pilot?
Judith Loomb 10 months ago
What do you expect from a trash site like Bored Panda who includes the words “not the actual photo” under each stock photo they use?
Load More Replies...
Blah Blah Blah 10 months ago
"What do you think should be the priority for improving aviation safety?" Hey BP add a poll answer option that says: The orange turd and his piece of s**t house husband need to stop doing stupid s**t like firing FAA employees while simultaneously giving themselves more tax breaks.
Kit Black 10 months ago
The FAA doesn't require ATC control towers at 80% of U.S. airports...
Load More Replies... CC 10 months ago
Hi Universe, unfortunately ‘Merica can’t come to the phone right now she’s currently being smothered by what appears to be an oversized Circus Peanut…could I take a message?
Load More Replies...
Anton Swanepoel 10 months ago
This "article" is the literal definition of clickbait. The accident took place between two private aircraft, and general aviation - which encompasses those with private pilot licenses - has always had a spotty safety record, unlike commercial aviation in the US, at least until recently. The inclusion of a picture of an airliner directly below the sub heading is extremely misleading, but I suspect that was the whole point. Finally, the airport in question doesn't have an ATC, the pilots in question would have been responsible for maintaining correct separation themselves. This is basically the aerial equivalent of two cars slamming into each other, as opposed to two busses filled with passengers.
Kit Black 10 months ago
Media manipulation just never stops... and the mob only wants facts they already agree with, whether the red mob or the blue.
Load More Replies...
For All Pedernity 10 months ago
Maybe we're lucky and AF1 is the next to fall out of the skies...
Rick Murray 10 months ago
Two dinky little private planes being flown by non-commercial pilots (so three months versus two and a half years or 1,500 hours) isn't quite the same as a mid air collision between two passenger jets. According to the NTSB, commercial flights i average fewer than 0.01 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours compared to more than 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 hours flown in private planes. That's a massive difference and while it may seem like planes are falling out of the sky right now, it may be better to filter out the little ones rather than "aaaaargh!".
Kit Black 10 months ago
This took place between 2 puddle jumpers at Marana Regional in Arizona, a map dot airfield with 2 runways that doesn't even have a control tower, and much of the traffic is part of a flight school. And it would not have even made more than local news in most years - there were 1,415 aircraft accidents in 2024, and 257 of them resulted in fatalities - and the vast majority of them involve puddle jumpers at small regional airports that rely on pilot sight navigation and has always, under FAA regulations, been untowered. In fact, there are about 20,000 untowered regional air fields across the U.S. - far outnumbering towered ~major~ airports, and if you're going to fear flying, you should absolutely avoid those...
Plant Wizard 10 months ago
Oh Please! these are two small private aircraft the Lancair 360 MK II is a two seater the 172 will take four at a pinch. This would never even have been made news worthy if there had not been other crashes. This is just trying to frighten you. These planes are flying around by private individuals all the time. They dont have the same sophisticated communications that large aircraft do and they dont fly into major airports.
Pheebs 10 months ago (edited)
So, the two planes were landing at a small airport with no tower to control traffic. Pilots are required to get on a specific frequency and coordinate with each other. The Cessna was doing a training exercise and moving in a normal pattern. The Lancaster was also doing well behind them, but they move faster than a Cessna and accidentally clipped their wing on the Cessna’s when passing them on the approach. This video has a great explanation. One fact wrong in it is the people pictured were not the occupants of the plane that landed safely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTq6bdRBrWk Also, I think we’re experiencing a frequency illusion (Baader-Meinhof phenomenon). We had a major crash, so the news is hyper focused on all plane crashes. We’ve actually been going DOWN in number of accidents and incidents.
UKGrandad 10 months ago
"Reports suggest that both planes were occupied at the time of the collision.." As opposed to one of them flying without so much as a pilot?
Judith Loomb 10 months ago
What do you expect from a trash site like Bored Panda who includes the words “not the actual photo” under each stock photo they use?
Load More Replies... Blah Blah Blah 10 months ago
"What do you think should be the priority for improving aviation safety?" Hey BP add a poll answer option that says: The orange turd and his piece of s**t house husband need to stop doing stupid s**t like firing FAA employees while simultaneously giving themselves more tax breaks.
Kit Black 10 months ago
The FAA doesn't require ATC control towers at 80% of U.S. airports...
Load More Replies... CC 10 months ago
Hi Universe, unfortunately ‘Merica can’t come to the phone right now she’s currently being smothered by what appears to be an oversized Circus Peanut…could I take a message?
Load More Replies... Anton Swanepoel 10 months ago
This "article" is the literal definition of clickbait. The accident took place between two private aircraft, and general aviation - which encompasses those with private pilot licenses - has always had a spotty safety record, unlike commercial aviation in the US, at least until recently. The inclusion of a picture of an airliner directly below the sub heading is extremely misleading, but I suspect that was the whole point. Finally, the airport in question doesn't have an ATC, the pilots in question would have been responsible for maintaining correct separation themselves. This is basically the aerial equivalent of two cars slamming into each other, as opposed to two busses filled with passengers.
Kit Black 10 months ago
Media manipulation just never stops... and the mob only wants facts they already agree with, whether the red mob or the blue.
Load More Replies... For All Pedernity 10 months ago
Maybe we're lucky and AF1 is the next to fall out of the skies...
Rick Murray 10 months ago
Two dinky little private planes being flown by non-commercial pilots (so three months versus two and a half years or 1,500 hours) isn't quite the same as a mid air collision between two passenger jets. According to the NTSB, commercial flights i average fewer than 0.01 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours compared to more than 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 hours flown in private planes. That's a massive difference and while it may seem like planes are falling out of the sky right now, it may be better to filter out the little ones rather than "aaaaargh!".
Kit Black 10 months ago
This took place between 2 puddle jumpers at Marana Regional in Arizona, a map dot airfield with 2 runways that doesn't even have a control tower, and much of the traffic is part of a flight school. And it would not have even made more than local news in most years - there were 1,415 aircraft accidents in 2024, and 257 of them resulted in fatalities - and the vast majority of them involve puddle jumpers at small regional airports that rely on pilot sight navigation and has always, under FAA regulations, been untowered. In fact, there are about 20,000 untowered regional air fields across the U.S. - far outnumbering towered ~major~ airports, and if you're going to fear flying, you should absolutely avoid those...
Plant Wizard 10 months ago
Oh Please! these are two small private aircraft the Lancair 360 MK II is a two seater the 172 will take four at a pinch. This would never even have been made news worthy if there had not been other crashes. This is just trying to frighten you. These planes are flying around by private individuals all the time. They dont have the same sophisticated communications that large aircraft do and they dont fly into major airports.
Pheebs 10 months ago (edited)
So, the two planes were landing at a small airport with no tower to control traffic. Pilots are required to get on a specific frequency and coordinate with each other. The Cessna was doing a training exercise and moving in a normal pattern. The Lancaster was also doing well behind them, but they move faster than a Cessna and accidentally clipped their wing on the Cessna’s when passing them on the approach. This video has a great explanation. One fact wrong in it is the people pictured were not the occupants of the plane that landed safely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTq6bdRBrWk Also, I think we’re experiencing a frequency illusion (Baader-Meinhof phenomenon). We had a major crash, so the news is hyper focused on all plane crashes. We’ve actually been going DOWN in number of accidents and incidents.
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