The planes, a single-engine Piper PA-46 and a single-engine Cessna 172, were preparing to land when the crash occurred, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and a fire official. The impact sent the planes in different directions: The Piper crashed into a field off the runway and the Cessna crashed into a water retention pond, the FAA said, adding in a statement that two people were on each plane. The FAA said the Cessna, which is registered to Binner Enterprises in Henderson, Nev., had one crew member and one passenger. The Piper, which is registered to Gold Aero Aviation in Tampa, Florida, also had one crew member and one passenger. The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. The North Las Vegas Fire Department said on Twitter that the crash, which occurred around noon Pacific Daylight Time, resulted in four deaths. The names of the victims have not been released. Jake Levesque, a fire department spokesman, said Monday that witnesses reported the planes were trying to land when they collided. He said one plane was on fire and that the people on both planes were “dead on arrival”. He referred inquiries into the investigation to the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA, which are investigating the crash. An NTSB spokesman said Sunday that an agency investigator was en route to the crash site, but did not provide other information. Mr Levesque said a collision between two planes at the airport was “very rare”. Photos from his department showed the planes were heavily damaged in the crash, with broken tails and wings. In 2003, two pilots were injured when their planes collided on the airport’s runway, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal. In that accident, one plane was taking off and the other was landing, the paper said.
