1 killed in mid-air collision at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Nevada

Two small planes have been involved in a mid-air collision at Minden-Tahoe Airport in Nevada, killing one person on one of the planes, local officials say. The other plane, which belongs to the Civil Air Patrol, was able to land safely.

The accident happened at around 9:45 a.m. on Monday when a single-engine Globe GC-1B Swift plane collided with a Cessna 206 in the skies over Minden-Tahoe Airport, about 11 miles (18 km) south of Carson City.

The Globe, which had only one person on board, crashed in a field off Highway 395 near Johnson Lane, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The Cessna, which had two people on board, managed to land safely at the airport.

“One fatality is confirmed at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “This is an ongoing investigation and more information will be released as it becomes available.”

Witnesses told the Record-Courier, a local newspaper, that an explosion occurred when the planes collided in mid-air. The first deputy on scene reported that the Globe was on its top in the field with a plume of smoke visible.

The Cessna is operated by Civil Air Patrol, which is the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

The cause of Monday’s collision was not immediately known. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation.