Planes Collide in Desert, All Safe

A commuter airplane collided in flight today with a small private plane over the Mojave Desert, but both planes landed safely and none of the 11 people on the planes were hurt, authorities said.

A twin-engine DeHavilland DHC-6 commuter plane with eight people on board was en route to Lancaster at 12:20 p.m. when the wing of a private Cessna 172 struck it in the tail section, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elly Brekke said. The Trans World Express commuter plane landed at Lancaster Airport and the Cessna landed at Palmdale Airport’s Plant 42, she said. There were no injuries, she said.