An event aimed at giving the youth a chance to learn about aviation ended terribly as two planes crashed and two people died on Saturday in Buffalo, New York.
According to AvStop, two small planes participating in an aviation event in New York on Saturday morning collided with each other, causing a deadly crash that resulted in two fatalities.
Shortly before 11 A.M. on Saturday morning, two planes involved in the Young Eagle’s aviation program clipped each others wings, causing one of the planes to crash. That plane, a Cessna 172, was occupied by a 14-year-old male passenger and a 78-year-old man who was piloting the plane. Both occupants of the Cessna 172 died from the crash. The occupants from the other plane, a SeaRey aircraft, survived thanks to making an emergency landing. The two survivors, a young girl and the pilot, suffered only minor injuries.
The event held on Saturday is sponsored by the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA). According to NBC News, 60 children between the ages of 8 and 17 participated in Saturday’s festivities held in Buffalo. The purpose of the Young Eagle’s program is to expose the youth to aviation and to give them a chance to learn about planes and flying first hand.
The names of those involved have not been released yet. The EAA issued this statement on Saturday:
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the pilot and passenger involved in the mishap. What we can confirm thus far is this, at around 10:45 AM EDT, a Cessna 172 aircraft went down near that airport following contact with what the FAA has reported is a Searey aircraft. The incident occurred during a Young Eagles rally being held by EAA Chapter 46 (Buffalo, NY). The pilot and passenger aboard the Cessna aircraft were fatally injured in the accident. The other aircraft involved landed safety. The names of those involved have not yet been released, pending notification of relatives. We will continue to update as details are confirmed.”
The investigation will be conducted by three different agencies: the National Transportation Safety Board, The Federal Aviation Administration and local police.
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