At 8:50 a.m. local time, a single-engine Cessna 172 and a second plane collided near Vance Brandt Airport in Longmont, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman told The Washington Post in an email.
Two people were in the Cessna 172, an FAA spokesman said. According to the National Transportation Safety Board on Twitter An investigation into the collision of a Cessna 172 with a plane identified as a Sonex Xenos in Longmont, Colo.
“The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate,” an FAA spokesman said. “The NTSP remains in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”
The Cessna 172, also known as the Skyhawk, is one of the most famous aircraft in the world. It can seat four people and is commonly used in flight instruction.
Mid-air collisions are rare, with fewer than 30 collisions occurring in the United States in a typical year. They almost always involve small private planes or military vessels, not commercial jets, and are usually the result of human error such as miscommunication or navigational problems.
Under federal aviation regulations, private pilots must “see and avoid” other aircraft flying in their vicinity, and they must closely follow takeoff and landing procedures. Conflicts are more common in areas with high traffic.
Mountain View Fire Rescue serves the area, Three deaths were confirmed and asked people to avoid the Niwot area northeast of Boulder.
Police have closed some roads in the area, Bonafed told The Washington Post.
“It’s still very early in the investigation,” Bonafede said, adding that federal investigators are “on their way.”
Praveena Somasundaram contributed to this report.
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