1 dead after planes collide mid-air in California

( KTLA ) – The Los Angeles County Fire Department is investigating after two small planes collided mid-air in Lancaster, California, on Sunday afternoon.

A call regarding two downed planes came in at 12:53 p.m., an L.A. County Fire Department spokesperson told Nexstar’s KTLA.

County fire officials later confirmed that the planes did collide mid-air. One pilot was killed while the other reported no injuries.

One of the planes crash-landed, fire officials said, and the California Highway Patrol confirmed to KTLA that the other aircraft crashed approximately two miles to the southeast.

In an update issued about two hours after the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration stated that the two planes involved were two single-engine aircraft: a Nanchang CJ-6 and a Yakovlev Yak-52.

The pilots were the only ones in their respective planes, the FAA added.

Witnesses told KTLA that the pilot of one of the planes was walking around outside, appearing distressed, after his plane crashed.

“He said he was alright, but he said it was terrible,” one witness said.

That pilot is cooperating with investigators, authorities said.

The crash, which happened in a relatively remote area, could have caused more damage had it occurred directly over homes.

“If it was over the city of L.A. or something, there would have been a lot of people,” another witness said. “It was a blessing, actually, in disguise that it happened over here.”

CHP, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department are at the scene handling the investigation. In addition, the NTSB will also conduct its own probe into the cause of the crash.

The name of the deceased pilot was not yet released as of Sunday evening.

Luis Zuñiga contributed to this report.

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