Midair collision near Fort Morgan airport leaves 1 dead, 3 injured

Two small planes collided in midair near Fort Morgan Municipal Airport in northeastern Colorado on Sunday morning, killing one person and injuring three, authorities said. The crash occurred around 10:40 a.m. as both aircraft were attempting to land, and produced visible smoke and flames that were captured on the airport's FAA tower webcam, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed each aircraft carried two people and identified the types involved as a Cessna 172 and an Extra EA-300. A preliminary account from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office and emergency personnel indicates a Cessna on final approach was struck by the second aircraft. Witnesses reported seeing the planes clip each other before both went down in fields just outside the airport, the sheriff's office said.

Responding deputies and fire crews found both airplanes on fire after impact. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office posted that both aircraft caught fire when they hit the ground, and that first responders and bystanders attempted to douse the flames before firefighters arrived. Morgan County Sheriff David Martin confirmed to a local television station that at least one person sustained burns...