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Authorities in Watsonville, California, reported that three people perished as a result of a midair collision between two tiny planes.
According to Watsonville Municipal airport officials, the planes—a twin-engine Cessna 340 and a single-engine Cessna 152—collided above the airport at around 3 pm local time Thursday
A video clip of the crash went viral on the internet.
According to the Federal Aviation Agency and a witness, two people were on board the Cessna 340 when it collided with the wing of the Cessna 152, sending the smaller aircraft crashing onto the edge of the airstrip.
According to local media, the jet landed roughly 100 feet from houses. The cockpit of the crashed airplane was covered in a tarp by first responders.
The bigger aircraft, according to local authorities, kept descending but "was struggling." Then, on the opposite side of the airport, they noticed a flash of fire.
A tweet on the city's official page said:
"Multiple agencies responded to Watsonville Municipal Airport after 2 planes attempting to land collided. We have reports of multiple fatalities. Report came in at 2:56pm. Investigation is underway, updates to follow."
FAA also reacted to Watsonville Municipal Airport Accident
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement to the media,
"A single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 collided while the pilots were "on their final approaches" to Watsonville Municipal Airport, located about 50 miles south of San Jose"
The statement further states:
"One person was on board the Cessna 152 and two people were on board the Cessna 340. No injuries were reported to anyone on the ground."
They added that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will assist the FAA in its investigation of the collision.
According to local news channels, local police and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) are two of the organizations supporting the inquiry. The inquiry will look into whether air traffic control was responsible for the incident.
SCSO posted a statement on Facebook on Thursday afternoon that said:
"We have responded to an aircraft collision in the area of the Municipal Airport on Aviation Way. We have the scene secured with the help of Watsonville PD."
The City of Watsonville tweeted their statement saying:
"We are absolutely saddened to hear about the tragic incident that took the lives of several people. The City sends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of those who passed."
According to the airport's website, it has four runways and is home to more than 300 aircraft. It manages more than 55,000 operations annually and is frequently utilized by agricultural businesses and recreational aircraft.
