“A number of fatalities” have been reported after two small planes collided mid-air at a California airport on Thursday, officers mentioned.

The crash occurred shortly earlier than three p.m. native time on the Watsonville Municipal Airport in Watsonville, an agricultural space positioned about 50 miles south of San Jose, officers mentioned.

The 2 planes have been making an attempt to land once they collided, the town of Watsonville mentioned on social media. “We now have stories of a number of fatalities,” it mentioned.

A single-engine Cessna 152 and a twin-engine Cessna 340 “collided whereas the pilots have been on their closing approaches,” the Federal Aviation Administration mentioned in a press release.

Three folks have been on board the planes — one within the Cessna 152 and two within the Cessna 340 — the company mentioned, although it didn’t present an replace on their circumstances. No accidents have been reported to anybody on the bottom, it mentioned.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned it responded to an plane collision on Aviation Method close to the airport and secured the scene with the Watsonville Police Division.

An investigation is underway by the Nationwide Transportation Security Board and the FAA.

This can be a growing story. Please test again for updates.