Two dead after small plane midair collision in Arizona, say authorities

At least two people are dead after a midair collision involving two small planes in southern Arizona, authorities said Wednesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the collision near an airport on the outskirts of Tucson. The Marana Police Department confirmed two deaths after responding to the crash.

The Associated Press left a message with a police spokesperson seeking additional details.

Last week, one of two pilots died on a private jet owned by Mtley Cre singer Vince Neil after the aircraft veered off a runway in Arizona and hit a business jet.

There have been four major aviation disasters in North America in the last month, with the most recent involving a Delta jet that flipped on its roof while landing in Toronto and the deadly crash of commuter plane in Alaska.

In late January, 67 people aboard an American Airlines passenger were killed when an Army helicopter collided with it in Washington, D.C., marking the country's deadliest aviation disaster since 2001.

Just a day later, a medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed into a Philadelphia neighbourhood on January 31, exploding in a fireball that engulfed several homes. That crash killed seven people, including all those aboard, and injured 19 others.