SAINT PETERSBURG: Two light aircraft collided mid-air near Saint Petersburg on Friday killing three people, Russian investigators said.

The Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said that a light aircraft made by the Piper manufacturer collided with another light aircraft carrying only a pilot.

It added that the Piper aircraft had taken off from an airstrip in the village of Gostilitsy, around 55 kilometres (35 miles) outside the city of Saint Petersburg.