Deputy John Bartmann/Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and Joe Amon/The Denver Post/Getty
- A mid-air collision occurred on Wednesday as two aircraft approached Centennial Airport near Denver.
- A private Cirrus SR-22 and Swearingen Metroliner SA226TC of Key Lime Air were involved.
- Both aircraft landed safely, with the Cirrus deploying its parachute and floating to the ground.
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Two aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision Wednesday morning as they approached Centennial Airport near Denver, Colorado, the Federal Aviation Administration and Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said.
One aircraft, a Swearingen Metroliner SA226TC twin-engine aircraft operated by Key Lime Air, was arriving from Salida, Colorado when the collision occurred, FlightAware data shows. Only the pilot was onboard the 43-year-old plane, which was likely performing a cargo flight.
The other aircraft was a single-engine Cirrus SR-22, widely used in general aviation. Only two occupants were on board, the pilot and a passenger. It was unclear where the plane's flight had originated.
No injuries were reported as both planes landed safely, despite structural damage to the Metroliner. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said it first received calls about the incident at around 10:25 a.m. local time.
The Cirrus successfully deployed a parachute, a standard safety feature on the plane, and floated safely to the ground. Both the pilot and passenger were able to exit the aircraft on their own with no injuries reported, authorities said
The incident occurred over Cherry Creek State Park just north of Centennial Airport, resulting in minimal damage on the ground.
Deputy John Bartmann/Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office
Key Lime Air is an Englewood, Colorado-based passenger and cargo airline, which also operates regional flights on behalf of Denver Air Connection. The airline did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
This is at least the second aviation incident to occur in the skies above Denver in 2021. In February, a United Airlines Boeing 777-200 experienced an engine failure while en route to Honolulu, causing debris to fall to the ground in populated neighborhoods.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the collision. Deputy John Bartmann of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told Insider that federal investigators are already on the scene. A drone is also being deployed to search for aircraft debris in the area, he said.
