ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) – People who live just west of Cherry Creek State Park told FOX31 they saw small pieces of debris fall to the ground after Wednesday morning’s midair collision of two airplanes.

They said the debris appeared to be insulation. The smaller airplane’s parachute is being credited with saving two lives.

“We heard a loud pop, and then we saw a plane falling from the sky,” said Greg Silva, a witness.

Silva was chatting with his neighbor, Bill Sieber, Wednesday morning when the two looked up after hearing the noise of airplanes.

“[It was] like a cannon went off,” Sieber said.

They both could see what happened next.

“We watched the other plane, the bigger plane, go down [toward Centennial Airport] and land,” Sieber said.

Viral pictures show a huge hole carved into the larger plane that landed at the airport. Silva said he called 911 and worked his way to the park to make sure everyone was OK.

“We saw the pilot,” Silva said. “They asked him if he was OK, and he was standing up and walked away from the accident.

Neighbors who heard and saw what happened are thankful — but also surprised — that no one was hurt.

“Nobody getting injured is amazing, and that’s great,” Sieber said.