ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The three people aboard two small planes survived uninjured after the aircraft collided mid-air over Cherry Creek State Park.
South Metro Fire Rescue said the collision happened at 10:25 a.m. Wednesday about four miles north of Centennial Airport.
A spokesperson for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said it is miraculous that no one was injured or died in this crash.
“You expect a lot worse. This was amazing,” said Arapahoe Sheriff’s deputy John Bartmann.
Audio recordings from ATCLive.net give a glimpse into the pilots’ reactions and their coordination with the Air Traffic Control tower as they were coming in for a landing. (Scroll down for audio recording.)
One plane crash landed just south of the reservoir. According to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, the plane’s parachute was deployed, and this helped bring the plane down safely.
There were two people on this plane at the time, and both walked away safely. The plane was a single-engine Cirrus SR22 owned by Independence Aviation.
The second plane landed safely at Centennial Airport and is a Swearingen Metroliner SA226TC cargo plane operated by Key Lime Air. The only person on board was the pilot, who was not injured.
There are no reports of injuries to people on the ground, but there is expected to be debris scattered across the park.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue Responders photograph the scene where a plane parachute-landed after colliding with another aircraft over Cherry Creek State Park on May, 12, 2021. Courtesy: South Metro Fire Rescue