Those Onboard Escape Serious Injury

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 11.06.06 2040 EST: Three people onboard two Beech V35 Bonanzas escaped with only minor injuries Monday, after the planes collided as both were attempting to land at the Los Alamos (NM) Airport.

KRQE-13 reports both aircraft were coming in to land at the uncontrolled airport just before 3:30 pm Monday. One aircraft, piloted by local pilot James Unrich, was slightly higher than the other.

Unrich walked away from the accident uninjured. The pilot of the lower plane, Robert Johnson, escaped with minor injuries, as did passenger Paul Lukes.

Footage from KRQE-13 (shown in the screengrab above) shows one plane perched on top of the other, with neither apparently suffering serious damage.

Located on the eastern side of a high mesa, the Los Alamos airport has a single 5,550' x 113' runway, 9/27. Due to its proximity to the Los Alamos National Laboratory -- and the accompanying restricted flight area -- landings are limited to runway 27, with takeoffs from runway 9.

The conjoined aircraft came to rest perpendicular to the approach end of runway 27.

The FAA is investigating the incident.

FMI: www.faa.gov