2021 Colorado mid-air collision
Key Lime Air Flight 970 · BB CO LLC N416DJ
Mid-air collision
Date12 May 2021 (12 May 2021)
SummaryMid-air collision on final approach to parallel runways
SiteCherry Creek State Park, Arapahoe County, Colorado
39°37′30″N 104°51′07″W / 39.62500°N 104.85194°W / 39.62500; -104.85194
Total fatalities0
Total injuries0
Total survivors3 (on both planes)
First aircraft

A Key Lime Air Swearingen SA226 Metroliner similar to the aircraft involved in the crash
TypeSwearingen SA226TC Metroliner
OperatorKey Lime Air
IATA flight No.KG970
ICAO flight No.LYM970
Call signKEY LIME 970
RegistrationN280KL
Flight originHarriet Alexander Field, Salida, Colorado
DestinationCentennial Airport, Colorado
Occupants1
Passengers0
Crew1
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Survivors1
Second aircraft

N416DJ, the Cirrus SR22 GTS G5 carbon involved in the accident
TypeCirrus SR22 GTS G5
Operatorprivate flight owned by BB CO LLC
Call signNOVEMBER 416 DELTA JULIET
RegistrationN416DJ
Flight originCentennial Airport, Colorado
DestinationCentennial Airport, Colorado
Occupants2
Passengers1
Crew1
Fatalities0
Injuries0
Survivors2

The 2021 Colorado mid-air collision (also known as The Centennial Miracle, The Centennial Mid-Air Miracle or Miracle on the Centennial) occurred on approach to Centennial Airport near Denver, Colorado, on 12 May 2021.

Events

At about 10:20 AM local time, a Cirrus SR22 light aircraft collided in mid-air with Key Lime Air Flight 970, an air charter cargo flight from Salida, Colorado, operated by a Swearingen SA226-TC Metroliner over Cherry Creek State Park in Arapahoe County. The collision destroyed a large section of the cabin of the Metroliner and damaged the empennage, but the pilot—who was the sole aircraft occupant and, based on communications with air traffic control (ATC), was initially unaware of the extent of the damage—was able to make a safe landing at Centennial Airport despite the significant damage to the fuselage and subsequent difficulties with the right-hand engine. The pilot of the Cirrus, which was a private rental aircraft on a local flight from Centennial Airport, deployed the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and made a safe parachute-assisted forced landing near Cherry Creek Reservoir; the pilot and single passenger were not injured.[1] It was covered heavily by local and national media outlets due in part to the lack of fatalities or injuries to the parties involved, a rare outcome in a midair collision.[2] Aviation news site AVweb dubbed the incident "the Centennial Miracle".[3]

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the accident was caused by failures of airmanship and ATC. The SR22 pilot flew too fast in the airfield traffic pattern and overshot his turn, resulting in the SR22 crossing the extended centerline of the parallel runway where the Metroliner was on final approach for landing. When the collision occurred, the SR22 wing flaps had been lowered to 50% but the aircraft was flying at 140 kn (160 mph; 260 km/h), much faster than the recommended speed of 85–90 kn (98–104 mph; 157–167 km/h) per the aircraft flight manual. Furthermore, the two parallel runways were being worked by different ATC controllers using different radio frequencies; the controller talking to the SR22 pilot issued traffic advisories regarding the Metroliner as required by regulations, but the other controller did not tell the Metroliner pilot about the approaching SR22, and thus the Metroliner pilot was unaware of the other aircraft and did not know to take evasive action.[4][5]

References

  1. Cole, Brendan (13 May 2021). "Plane Miraculously Floats to Ground Using Parachute After Midair Collision: Man Steals Passenger Plane, Does Stunts Before Crashing". MSN. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  2. "Two planes collide midair above Denver, no one injured". ABC News. 12 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  3. "Just Days After Centennial Miracle, Another Midair, And Another CAPS Pull". AVweb. 18 May 2021. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. Niles, Russ (1 April 2023). "NTSB Says Midair Pilot Overshot Pattern Turns". AVweb. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  5. "Aviation Investigation Final Report". National Transportation Safety Board. 29 March 2023. CEN21FA215. Retrieved 4 April 2023.


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