Planes Collide in Flight, Killing 2 in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Two small planes collided on Monday while approaching to land at an Argentine airport, and two people died when one of the planes crashed.

An Argentine air force Piper P-28 Dakota collided with a civilian plane being used for flight school training as both were nearing the small airport in the town of Mercedes, about 60 miles west of Buenos Aires, said Gabriel Otero, an air force spokesman.

"They touched in the air when they were near landing," he said.

Two people aboard the civilian Cessna 150, were killed when it crashed after the collision, Otero said. The air force plane landed safely with two men aboard, he said.

Civil aviation authorities were investigating the collision. The small public airport in Mercedes has no control tower.

The air force described the two victims as being flight school crew members. Officials did not immediately provide additional information about them.