Four Patients Critical

Two aviation accidents within 24 hours at the same airport have left seven people injured -- four of them critically. In both cases, the aircraft involved at the Burning Man Festival airstrip in Black Rock Desert (NV) were Beechcraft BE-35s. The FAA and NTSB are investigating both incidents.

Friday, a Bonanza crashed on take-off, injuring three people on board. Saturday, a BE-35 crashed while attempting to land at the festival's airstrip, about 120 miles north of Reno (NV). Witnesses said the aircraft made a steep turn, then "stalled and crashed."

"The plane reportedly lost engine power," said Larri Frelow, an operations officer for the FAA. "The aircraft sustained substantial damage."

So did the people on board. All four were flown to the Washoe Medical Center in Reno (NV). All are listed in critical condition.

The Burning Man Festival is a gathering of art enthusiasts in the desert. This year's attendance was the biggest ever. More than 30,000 people are estimated to have been there. The festival culminated in Saturday night's burning of a 70-foot tall nonspecific effigy, for which the rather chaotic gathering is named.

FMI: www.burningman.com/whatisburningman