You probably heard about the mid-air collision this week over Cherry Creek State Park, but you may have missed the amazing story of how everyone survived.

Miracle In the Sky

It could have been so much worse. Miraculously, no one was injured Wednesday when two small planes, preparing for landing, collided in mid-air near Denver. Both planes sustained significant damage, however, the larger plane was able to land at Centennial airport while one deployed a parachute and floated safely to the ground.

It's Not New Technology

According to 9 News, the Cirrus SR22 involved in the collision was equipped with a BRS Aerospace parachute, a standard feature of Cirrus models. The technology is actually not new and has saved the lives of 443 people through the years. More than 37,000 planes have been equipped with parachutes. However, this parachute landing was reportedly the first one experienced by local first responders.

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The Collision

In the video above, you hear air traffic control giving the Key Lime Air Metroliner clearance to land on Centennial AIrport's longest runway before the collision occurs. The pilot of the Metroliner seemed unaware his plane was missing a large chunk of the plane's fuselage. He states he has lost the right engine and intends to proceed with the landing.

Meanwhile, the pilot of the smaller Cirrus plane deployed the plane's parachute, which takes about two seconds. The plane can be seen floating to the ground and comes to rest on some grass near a trail.

The fact that nobody was killed or injured in this mid-air collision is absolutely amazing. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident and should be publishing the results of their preliminary investigation in the next couple of weeks.

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