2 small planes collide in mid-air near Soldotna airport

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says two small airplanes collided in mid-air near Soldotna Friday morning. It was not immediately known how many people were on board the two planes or their conditions. Wreckage after the collision at 8:30 a.m. came down near the Sterling Highway and briefly closed the highway. The FAA says the planes involved were a single-engine de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver and a twin-engine Piper Aztec. The collision occurred about 2 miles northeast of the Soldotna Airport. Two federal investigators were dispatched to the scene shortly after the crash.