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One person was killed, and three others were injured after two planes collided midair near the Fort Morgan Municipal Airport in Colorado on Sunday, law enforcement officials said.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and emergency personnel rushed to the scene after receiving a report of a plane crash at about 10:45 a.m. When they arrived, they discovered that two aircraft had gone down in fields just outside the airport.
A preliminary investigation found that a small Cessna was on final approach to the runway when it was struck midair by a second aircraft. Witnesses reported seeing the two planes clip each other before plummeting to the ground.
Both planes caught fire when they hit the ground, according to the sheriff’s office. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the wreckage as first responders and bystanders tried to douse the fires.
Each plane carried two people. The Cessna’s occupants suffered minor injuries and were released at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
One of the individuals aboard the second plane — an Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 — was taken to a local hospital. The other was pronounced dead at the scene by the Morgan County Coroner’s Office.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that the two planes collided as they attempted to land.
The FAA said both agencies will investigate, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) taking the lead and providing updates.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim in this tragic event,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. “This is an active investigation and the names of the parties involved are not being released at this time.”
The sheriff’s office also thanked citizens who tried to put out the flames before firefighters and other first responders arrived.
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