Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WEKU
WEKU
The Associated Press

Three people were killed after two small planes collided in the sky near Denver

A crashed plane, one of two, lies along Niwot Road between Highway 287 and N. 95th St. on Saturday in Longmont, Colo. Two small airplanes collided near Denver, killing three people, authorities said. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via AP)

LONGMONT, Colo. — Two small airplanes collided in midair near Denver on Saturday, killing three people, authorities said.

It wasn't known what might have caused the crash between the four-seater Cessna 172 and the Sonex Xenos, a light, aluminum, homebuilt aircraft that can seat two.

Nearby residents who heard the crash and rushed outside told CBS affiliate 9News in Denver they were surprised the planes could have struck each other on such a clear morning.

One of the planes crashed in a field, the other in a stand of trees, near Vance Brand Airport in Longmont, Colorado, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Denver. Two people were found dead in one wreckage, and one person in the other, the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. The NTSB said a preliminary report would be released in about 15 days.

The collision happened just before 9 a.m. Saturday. The identities of the victims were not immediately released.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.