2 planes collided midair near Denver, and one was forced to parachute to the ground

• A midair 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.

Two aircraft were involved in a midair collision Wednesday morning as they approached Centennial Airport near Denver, 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 showed. 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 onboard, the pilot and a passenger. It was unclear where the plane's flight had originated.

No injuries were reported and both planes landed safely, despite structural damage to the Metroliner. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said it had first received calls about the incident about 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 the passenger exited 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.

Key Lime Air is an Englewood, Colorado, 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 en route to Honolulu, causing debris to fall to the ground in populated neighborhoods.

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board said they would investigate the collision. Deputy John Bartmann of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told Insider that federal investigators were already on the scene. A drone was also being deployed to search for aircraft debris in the area, he said.