4 Dead After Small Planes Collide in Skies Near Las Vegas

Photo: John Locher/AP/Shutterstock

Four people died when two single-engine planes crashed over the North Las Vegas Airport in Nevada on Sunday afternoon.

The planes, a Piper PA-46 and a Cessna 172, each had two people on board when they collided at around noon, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement,according to the Associated Press.

The North Las Vegas Fire Department confirmed in a statement that four people died in the incident but did not identify them,according to theLas Vegas Review-Journal.

The department did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“Preliminary information indicates that the Piper PA-46 was preparing to land when it collided with the Cessna 172,” the statement said. “The Piper crashed into in a field east of Runway 30-Right and the Cessna fell into a water retention pond.”

John Locher/AP/Shutterstock

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating the crash.

A pilot told theReview-Journalthat he was “surprised” the accident, which happened in clear weather, occurred at the airport.

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source: people.com