2 planes collide over Alaska, 1 pilot dead

Two small planes collided over southwest Alaska, leaving one pilot dead, officials said. The other pilot safely landed her badly damaged plane on the tundra near Nightmute, Alaska, Friday, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told the Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News. There were no passengers on either of the planes, . Rural freight carrier Ryan Air identified the surviving pilot as Kirsten Sprague, 26, of Idaho. Sprague was able to land safely and contact other pilots flying in the area.The plane was heading to Bethel from Tununak The other plane, operated by Grant Aviation, was reportedly on the ground in flames after the collision. The pilot of the plane, Scott Veal, 24, was believed to have been killed in the crash. Although his body was not pulled from the wreckage, "there were no signs of life," Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said. Veal was reportedly traveling from Toksook Bay and was also heading to Bethel. It marked the third mid-air collision this summer in Alaskan skies.