FAA: Two killed in midair collision in Virginia
December 31st, 2010
04:01 PM ET

FAA: Two killed in midair collision in Virginia

An airborne single-engine plane collided with a medical-evacuation helicopter at Virginia's Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport on Friday, killing two people, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The incident involved a single-engine Cessna 172 and Eurocopter EC135 MedEvac helicopter, the FAA's Jim Peters said. The two who died were on the single-engine plane; the helicopter landed safely with no injuries aboard, the FAA said.

Read coverage from CNN affiliate WHSV.

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Filed under: Air travel • Virginia
soundoff (171 Responses)
  1. Jeff

    if I'm flying, I'll get off the plane unless my pilot is muslim.

    December 31, 2010 at 8:11 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Mizh

    like me!

    December 31, 2010 at 8:12 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Bethann

    @ i rock...you are a phucktard. May the fleas of 1,000 camels nestle in your crotch...

    December 31, 2010 at 8:29 pm | Report abuse |
  4. News Wire

    Pilot Error !

    December 31, 2010 at 8:48 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Bethann

    lmao

    December 31, 2010 at 8:58 pm | Report abuse |
  6. austin

    This story is funny to anyone who hasnt had someone die in a plane accident. get over it. funny stuff.

    December 31, 2010 at 9:06 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Steven Brown

    Thank God the idiots responsible for the collision were the ones who died.

    December 31, 2010 at 9:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • jodabe79

      it was the helicopter that could have avoided the accident. it made no effort to avoid the plane. it made contact with the top of the plane. the idiot "rescue copter" should have had the experience to avoid 2 deaths. this is coming from an eye witness.

      December 31, 2010 at 9:29 pm | Report abuse |
    • BR

      You are one heartless SOB.

      December 31, 2010 at 11:54 pm | Report abuse |
    • WhackAMole

      The general rule is that the least maneuverable craft has the right-of-way. Aircraft on final has the right-of-way over anything else. In this case, the 172 was apparently on final. Hope the helicopter pilot has a good lawyer.

      January 1, 2011 at 9:54 am | Report abuse |
    • raggedy anne

      Seriously Steven Brown, you DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, so you need to be quiet. As for the eye witness, I hope you spoke to the police and told them what you saw. Being a close family friend to the deceased, I beg you to talk to the authorities to tell them what you saw. So crucial to the families. Thanks you, and God Bless You.

      January 1, 2011 at 8:41 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Yo mama

    @ Steve Brown so you've ALREADY seen the NTSA's & the FAA's official reports? Already really? or are we to believe you are omniscient?

    December 31, 2010 at 9:29 pm | Report abuse |
  9. jillv

    Artimus Pyle, who was in the plane crashon October 20,1977, Father was killed in a midair collision hit by a B57 bomber that took off without turning on its radar.

    December 31, 2010 at 9:36 pm | Report abuse |
    • WhackAMole

      What is a "B57"?

      In 1977, aircraft have weather radar, not radar for collision avoidance.

      January 1, 2011 at 9:56 am | Report abuse |
  10. Bethann

    Nice to see you get such entertainment from using my name.

    December 31, 2010 at 9:38 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Yo mama

    Oh I almost forgot
    and muslims are better pilots.
    +@austin re – This story is funny to anyone who hasnt had someone die in a plane accident. get over it. funny stuff.
    ~ you're wrong I've had people I know & love die in a plane crash & this blog is STILL funny. til someone hurts a finger or thumb blogging then it's hilarious!

    *****And Hey leave my boy good ole John 'Rocky Mountain High-Take Me Home' Denver out of this today would've been his 67th Birthday – Happy Birthday Country Boy RIP.
    the fuel tank select switch and it's positioning played a major role in that crash too! Peace Out

    December 31, 2010 at 9:49 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Kurt Mbfrczwh

    I would think that if the tip, maybe the last 2 feet, of one wing of the airplane hit the body of the helicopter, it would break the wing off the plane and not cause the chopper to crash. Massive body damage, sure, but if the rotor up above is not hit, nor the delicate tail rotor... That would be one scenario where the plane goes down and the chopper can limp home and land.

    Or how about airplane passes under chopper and vertical stabilizer of plane gets ripped-off by helicoper's landing gear? Plane can't fly without its vertical tail, but chopper can land with mangled landing skids.

    December 31, 2010 at 9:52 pm | Report abuse |
  13. D. Smith

    Condolences to the families effected by this tragedy.

    As for the tone of the posts and gallows humor (or lack there of) this pales to what is said daily on USA Today in their remarks section following any and all news. Normally it's an attack by this racist or that, definitely makes one wonder if there ever really will be intelligent discourse in our country again.

    December 31, 2010 at 10:02 pm | Report abuse |
  14. mike schultz

    cnn must do a better job monitoring post. the comments to this are insulting!! the claim that they even attempt to review post is terrible!! Shame on them. A death of any human is nothing to make light of.

    December 31, 2010 at 10:05 pm | Report abuse |
  15. The other santa

    Lesson to be taught here... Dont bring a cessna to a helicopter fight. lol

    December 31, 2010 at 10:43 pm | Report abuse |
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