At least two people were killed in a mid-air collision between two small aircraft in the US state of California on Thursday. The incident occurred when the two planes were trying to land at Watsonville Municipal Airport shortly before 3pm, according to a tweet from the city of Watsonville.
“Multiple agencies responded to Watsonville Municipal Airport after 2 planes attempting to land collided. We have reports of multiple fatalities,” city’s official Twitter handle posted. “Investigation is underway, updates to follow.”
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, two people were onboard a twin-engine Cessna 340 and a pilot was aboard a single-engine Cessna 152 during the crash. It was not immediately clear whether anyone survived. No one on the ground was injured, reported Associated Press.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
“We are grieving tonight from this unexpected and sudden loss,” said City of Watsonville Mayor Ari Parker. “I want to express my deepest and most heartfelt condolences.”
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
Islamic State ‘Beatle’ faces life sentence for US hostage deaths
A member of the notorious Islamic State kidnap-and-murder cell known as the “Beatles,” is to be sentenced in a US court on Friday for the deaths of four American hostages in Syria. The 12-person federal jury deliberated for less than six hours over two days before finding El Shafee Elsheikh, 34 guilty for his role in the deaths of four Americans — journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.
-
_1660870661422_1660870682474_1660870682474.jpg "Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.")
Xi and Putin to attend G-20 summit in Indonesia, Jokowi says
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are both planning to attend a Group of 20 summit in the resort island of Bali later this year, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said. “Xi Jinping will come. President Putin has also told me he will come,” Jokowi, as the president is known, said in an interview with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on Thursday.
-
Kim Jong Un’s sister tells South Korea to ‘stop dreaming’ of talks
The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejected a disarmament-for-aid deal offered by South Korea’s president, calling it a “stupid” plan and dismissing the idea of engaging with Seoul. Kim Yo Jong told South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to “stop dreaming in vain,” the state’s official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.
-
Ukraine war: ‘Not much immediate progress’ as Erdogan, UN chief meet Zelensky
Turkey’s leader and the U.N. chief met in Ukraine with President Volodymr Zelenskyy on Thursday in a high-powered bid to ratchet down a war raging for nearly six months. But little immediate progress was reported. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would follow up with Russian President Vladimir Putin, given that most of the matters discussed would require the Kremlin’s agreement.
-
Salman Rushdie’s attacker denied bail, judge bars lawyers from giving interviews
A judge refused to grant bail Thursday to the man accused of trying to kill Salman Rushdie as the acclaimed author prepared to give a talk in western New York. Public defender Nathaniel Barone said Matar had no criminal record and wouldn’t flee the country if released. A semiofficial Iranian foundation had posted a bounty of over $3 million. “No speaking to the press until we have resolved this issue,” Judge David Foley said.