Two planes collide mid-air, several people killed

Several people have been reportedly killed when two planes collided while attempting to land at an airport in western California.

The collision happened shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday at Watsonville Municipal Airport, located about 45 miles south of San Jose.

“We have reports of multiple fatalities,” the City of Watsonville said in a statement. “Investigation is underway.”

The National Transportation Safety Board said via Twitter that it was investigating the collision while identifying the aircraft involved as a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 340A.

According to AP, there were two people aboard a twin-engine Cessna 340 and only the pilot aboard a single-engine Cessna 152 during the crash, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Officials say multiple fatalities were reported but it was not immediately clear whether anyone survived.

The pilots were on their final approaches to the airport when the collision occurred, the FAA said in a statement. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, which did not immediately have additional details, are investigating the crash.

No one on the ground was injured. The airport has four runways and is home to more than 300 aircraft, according to its website. It handles more than 55,000 operations a year and is used often for recreational planes and agriculture businesses.

Along with the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was investigating the collision while the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said it was on the scene.