Five killed in New Jersey air collision

Two small planes have collided in New Jersey, killing at least five people and sending one aircraft plunging into the back yard of a home.

One person was trapped alive in a Cessna 150 and rescue workers were trying to free that person, said Holly Baker, a spokeswoman with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Cessna collided with a Piper PA-28 near Kinnelon, and the Piper broke into pieces, Baker said.

She added neither plane had filed a flight plan, so it was not clear how many people were involved in the crash.

She said nobody on the ground was injured.

One plane crashed about 9:15am (1.15pm) in the wooded back yard of a home across the street from John Yago’s house in Kinnelon. It was unclear whether it was the Cessna or the Piper.

“I walked over and all you could see when you look behind the house was the tail sticking straight up out of the ground,” Mr Yago said.

He added that the aircraft he saw was a two-passenger plane and that his neighbour’s home was not damaged.