A small single-engine plane went off the runway at Marana Regional Airport on Wednesday and erupted into a fiery crash that killed two people, according to town officials. Thick black smoke billowed over the northwest Tucson suburbs as fire crews and police rushed to the scene, temporarily shutting down the busy general aviation field while responders and investigators worked the wreckage.
Two Confirmed Dead As Federal Investigators Step In
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation and identified the aircraft as a Piper PA-32, according to The Associated Press. Marana police told the outlet that two people were on board and that no other aircraft were involved in the crash. Authorities have not yet released the victims' names.
Crash Timeline And Airport Shutdown
Local coverage reported the crash happened around 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, with airport officials issuing a NOTAM to close the field while the investigation got underway. As reported by 13 News/Tucson Now, Mayor Jon Post said the plane went off the runway and burst into flames, and that the Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District led the initial emergency response. Airport officials warned the closure could extend into Thursday as crews cleared wreckage and debris.
Crash Rekindles Debate Over Airport Control Tower
The deadly accident comes a little more than a year after a mid-air collision at the same airport that killed two people and renewed calls for an air traffic control tower at Marana Regional. The town has been pursuing a tower project and posted a draft environmental assessment last year, according to the Town of Marana, but construction has not yet started. Pilots and flight instructors have said a tower could reduce certain risks at the busy, non-towered field, while cautioning that it would not prevent every type of accident.
What Investigators Will Be Looking At
Town officials said local police handled the initial response and that federal investigators will now take charge of the probe. Agencies are expected to review the aircraft, its maintenance records and any available radio communications as they work to determine what went wrong. Investigators have asked anyone with video or eyewitness information to contact authorities, and officials said additional details will be released as they become available. For now, the identities of the two people killed remain withheld pending notification of their families.
