7 Die in Collision of Two Small Planes

Two small airplanes collided in flight Sunday and seven people were killed, moments after one of the planes had dropped sky divers at an airport festival, authorities said. One person on the ground was injured.

The planes collided about a mile southwest of Queen City Airport, which was hosting a hot-air balloon festival, said Bill Vogel, area supervisor for the Federal Aviation Administration.

“They were flying one over the other, then one flew up and hit the other,” said Frank Kosh, a Salisbury Township resident who saw the collision.

One plane landed at the edge of a mall parking lot, said Gary Wertman of Allentown, who was working nearby. The other plane landed about 1,000 feet away, behind a car dealership, he said.

One man on the ground suffered minor injuries when his car was struck by debris, but he did not require hospitalization, Salisbury Township police said.

The Lehigh County coroner identified the pilot of the parachutists’ plane as Peter C. Miller, 47, of Sellersville. Miller was the only one on board.

The pilot of the other plane was identified as Dr. Abdul Kahn, 43, of Allentown. Also on board were Dr. Muhammad A. Malik, 45, of Allentown, his son Raymond Malik, 12, two other adults and a child.