Three dead after two small planes collide mid-air at California airport, authorities say

Three people were killed on Thursday after two small planes collided mid-air at a California airport, authorities said.

The crash happened shortly before 3 p.m. local time at the Watsonville Municipal Airport in Watsonville, an agricultural area about 50 miles (80 km) south of San Jose, officials said.

The two planes were trying to land when they collided, the city of Watsonville said on social media. “We have reports of multiple fatalities,” the statement said.

A single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 “collide while the pilots were on their last approach,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

One person was in the Cessna 152 and two in the Cessna 340, the agency said. No one on the ground was injured.

The Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office said friday that all three aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash. The names of the victims will be released after notification from the family. All three victims were adults, airport officials said.

Based on preliminary information, it appears that one plane was operating in the traffic pattern and the other landing, Fabian Salazar, an air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters during a briefing on Friday.

The airport is an “uncontrolled airport,” with no control tower, and pilots communicate via a traffic advisory frequency, Salazar said.

“We’re working on getting the radio communications that took place,” Salazar said.

The study will also take into account factors such as weather and airspeed approaching, he said.

Rayvon Williams, director of Watsonville Municipal Airport, told reporters he hasn’t seen a collision of this nature since he started there in 2011. Neither the airspace nor the volume of traffic at the airport supports the cost of bringing a control tower to the field, he said.

The city tweeted on Thursday that it was “absolutely saddened to hear about the tragic incident in which several people lost their lives”.

“The City of Watsonville extends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who have passed away,” it added.

“We mourn this unexpected and sudden loss tonight,” said Watsonville Mayor Ari Parker. “I want to express my deepest and most sincere condolences.”

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said it was responding to a plane collision on Aviation Way near the airport and secured the scene with Watsonville Police.

“Two aircraft collided this afternoon and came to rest at and near the Watsonville airport. There are currently multiple fatalities,” said Lieutenant Patrick Dimick. “There have been multiple fatalities. We cannot confirm otherwise at this time as we have just secured the airport so the NTSB and FAA can arrive and conduct their investigation.”