Midair collision of two small planes claims three near San Diego

An undetermined number of people died Sunday when two small planes collided in midair northeast of Brown Field in San Diego, authorities said.

An official says an Indonesian airliner carrying 54 people has lost contact over the country’s easternmost province of Papua.

“And we had numerous reports that there was fire in the area”, said Cal Fire Division Chief Nick Schuler. He did not have details on the victims but said they were apparently on the planes.

Crews extinguished small fires sparked in dry brush at the crash site in a rural area, Bolwerk said.

Three bodies were recovered, said Lt. Jim Bolwerk of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.

San Diego Fire Department spokesman Lee Swanson told CNN debris was scattered about a quarter of a mile.

One Chula Vista firefighters was taken to the hospital for a heat-related malady while fighting a brush fire.

Brown Field, located 1.5 miles north of the Mexican border and 13 miles southeast of downtown San Diego, is a general aviation airport, heavily used by private, corporate, charter and government aircraft.

Further information about the passengers on the plane was not immediately available, the FAA spokesman said.