2 dead in British mid-air collision

SANDOWN, England, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Two light aircraft collided during an aerial race in England Saturday, killing two people, authorities said.

The two victims were in a four-seat touring plane that lost a wing and crashed in dense woods near Ryde on the Isle of Wight shortly after 5 p.m., The Daily Telegraph reported.

The other plane, a two-seat sports aircraft carrying a pilot and passenger, was damaged but was able to land at Bembridge Airport. The two occupants were taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The collision occurred during a race for the Rolls Royce Merlin Trophy, the newspaper said.