Witnesses Tell Investigators Planes Clipped Wings

The FAA and NTSB have begun their investigation into Friday's midair collision over Ohio's Blue Ash Airport, with one witness telling investigators the two planes involved clipped wings before plummeting to the ground.

In an accident initially reported by ANN, the FAA said "it will be several months" before information on what might have caused the crash is released publicly. The agency's full investigation of Friday's collision could take a year or more.

The planes' pilots were apparently not in contact with air traffic controllers, the FAA said. Patrol Lt. Wayne Price said investigators assume both planes took off from Blue Ash Airport, though the accident occurred several miles from the field.

Investigators interviewed witnesses Saturday in an effort to learn why the pilots got so close.

One witness told investigators that "the aircraft were traveling in opposite directions and the wings impacted," said Ed Malinowski, investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.

No injuries were reported on the ground in the Cincinnati suburb of 14,000 residents. The planes crashed at about 3 pm at two sites in an area with several well-traveled highways, which were closed temporarily while investigators looked for debris.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.cincinnati-transit.net/blueash.html