Three people died when two small planes collided in midair Saturday afternoon.

The collision happened around 5:30 p.m. near Aero County Airport, the Federal Aviation Authority said.

>> Read more trending stories

"Both aircraft were flying under visual flight rules and were not in contact with air traffic control at the time of the collision," Lynn Lunsford, an FAA spokesman, told The Associated Press.

 The identities of those involved in the accident have not been released.