Key Lime Air Swearingen SA-226 Metro II and Cirrus SR-22 mid air collision

[apenney]

https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/2-planes-collide-mid-air-over-cherry-creek-state-park-no-reported-injuries-officials-say

 copied the following from a Facebook post about it.

"DENVER – There were no injuries reported after two airplanes collided mid-air over Cherry Creek State Park, leading one of them to crash in a field and another to land safely, South Metro Fire Rescue said.

UPDATE 12 May 4:28pm new additional info

Accident: Key Lime SW4 and private aircraft at Denver on May 12th 2021, midair collision

A Key Lime Air Swearingen SA-226 Metro II, registration N280KL performing flight KG-970 from Salida,CO to Denver Centennial,CO (USA), was on a visual approach to Centennial's runway 17L cleared for the approach and was descending through 6400 feet about 3nm north of the threshold runway 17L.

A private Cirrus SR-22, registration N416DJ, was also on approach to Denver Centennial descending through 6400 feet about 3nm north of the threshold of runway 17R.

The two aircraft collided, the Cirrus apparently struck across through the fuselage of the Metroliner just above the wings taking out the whole cabin section at that point. The crew declared emergency on tower frequency reporting their right hand engine had failed and reported they saw another aircraft on parachute going down. After landing the crew advised, it had definitely been a mid air collision.

The Cirrus pilot activated their parachute and landed in a field nearby with no injuries. The crew of the Metroliner managed to land the aircraft at Cenntennial Airport.

The Cirrus ended up about 2.7nm north of runway 17L in the area of the Cherry Creek Reservoir. The local Sheriffs Office gave the location between E. Bellevue Ave and S. Cherry Creek Drive."

 

 

 

 

[toto]

Sheez, it's hard to believe the Swearingen was controllable.

[gsxrpilot]

https://coloradosun.com/2021/05/12/two-planes-collide-cherry-creek-reservoir/?fbclid=IwAR21gVUL3aqRWnC-n2YvwuIMKY7sXqVX6k-TvWKhUyM6RtKyrBl-gUGWu_A

+1 for CAPS and +1000 for the kid flying the Metro.

Evidently the Cirrus pilot blew through his base to final turn even though he'd been told of the Metro on final for the parallel runway. 

My base to final turn nearly always involves traffic for the parallel runway. I either see it, or make damn sure I don't overshoot final. In fact I'll probably roll out lined up on the taxiway and then have to gently side step to actually land on the runway.

Glad everyone's ok, but no excuse for sloppy flying.

[apenney]

7 minutes ago, toto said:

Sheez, it's hard to believe the Swearingen was controllable.

Yeah, the damage reminds me of the Aloha Air decompression incident many years ago.

[smwash02]

“Looks like the right engine failed so I’m going to continue my landing,” the Metroliner’s pilot said, apparently not realizing the collision had happened.  -- Wow!

Amazing and awesome that everyone made it down safely!

Just thinking about this situation from a liability perspective, I wonder if the typical 1MM policy would be enough to fully cover this. If they total the Metroliner, I suspect not. @Parker_Woodruff, any thoughts?

 

Edited May 12, 2021 by smwash02

[Jim Peace]

Get that kid in the metro an airline interview right away.....

[ragedracer1977]

2 hours ago, smwash02 said:

“Looks like the right engine failed so I’m going to continue my landing,” the Metroliner’s pilot said, apparently not realizing the collision had happened.  -- Wow!

Amazing and awesome that everyone made it down safely!

Just thinking about this situation from a liability perspective, I wonder if the typical 1MM policy would be enough to fully cover this. If they total the Metroliner, I suspect not. @Parker_Woodruff, any thoughts?

 

I listened to the tapes. I don't think his heart rate increased even a single beat per minute.

I'd fly with him any day 

[RobertGary1]

4 minutes ago, ragedracer1977 said:

I listened to the tapes. I don't think his heart rate increased even a single beat per minute.

I'd fly with him any day 

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[Niko182]

From what I heard, the cirrus peaked at a 189MPH on his base leg. If you're gonna fly fast, be ready to cover distance.

[Mcstealth]

What am I seeing here? The Cirrus was slightly above the twin, and the fixed landing gear tore the top half of the cabin off and part of the tail?

Edited May 13, 2021 by Mcstealth

[ragedracer1977]

2 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

At the very least, he thought he had an engine failure.  Still cool as a cucumber

[201er]

 

[201er]

 

[EricJ]

Another cool customer, the guy that reported the chute and gave their position was on his first student solo.
 

 

[Andy95W]

2 hours ago, ragedracer1977 said:

At the very least, he thought he had an engine failure.  Still cool as a cucumber

 

[carusoam]

So much focus on the missing cabin...

there is one pic above showing a giant dent in the tail fin.

and the video showing the chute not fully inflated until just above the ground.

Yikes, that was close to a real tragedy...

Another viewpoint of all that occurred.... including ATC details...

-a-

 

[N201MKTurbo]

13 hours ago, apenney said:

Yeah, the damage reminds me of the Aloha Air decompression incident many years ago.

FWIW.

I have the signature of the copilot of the Aloha Air incident in my logbook. In 82 I went to Hawaii on vacation and rented a Tomahawk. She was the flight instructor who checked me out.

[201er]

If no one wants to ask the obvious, I will. Why the heck did tower have the Key Lime cross the final approach of 17R to line up with 17L? And what happened to see and avoid? On base, Key Lime should have been in a position of good visibility to see the approaching Cirrus from the left seat. 
 

Most airports I’ve been to with parallel runways have traffic patterns on each side and keep traffic on the side they are on.

[ragedracer1977]

8 minutes ago, 201er said:

If no one wants to ask the obvious, I will. Why the heck did tower have the Key Lime cross the final approach of 17R to line up with 17L? And what happened to see and avoid? On base, Key Lime should have been in a position of good visibility to see the approaching Cirrus from the left seat. 
 

Most airports I’ve been to with parallel runways have traffic patterns on each side and keep traffic on the side they are on.

I can't tell you how many times I've flown a left base for 25R into DVT.  

How do you see and avoid traffic behind you?

[N201MKTurbo]

34 minutes ago, 201er said:

If no one wants to ask the obvious, I will. Why the heck did tower have the Key Lime cross the final approach of 17R to line up with 17L? And what happened to see and avoid? On base, Key Lime should have been in a position of good visibility to see the approaching Cirrus from the left seat. 
 

Most airports I’ve been to with parallel runways have traffic patterns on each side and keep traffic on the side they are on.

I have thousands (really) of landings at KCHD making left traffic to the right runway. In most cases (not all) there is no traffic to the left runway except helicopters using the taxiway.

BTW, how come we get in big trouble for landing on the the taxiway, but the helicopters do it all day long?

Edited May 13, 2021 by N201MKTurbo

[Davidv]

12 hours ago, Niko182 said:

From what I heard, the cirrus peaked at a 189MPH on his base leg. If you're gonna fly fast, be ready to cover distance.

I just checked flightradar24 and he was doing 169 knots on a 2 mile right base at 600 ft AGL!  If he didn't shear the top off the Metroliner, he probably would have pulled the chute due to an accelerated stall trying to make the turn for 17R.  Extremely sloppy either way and lucky he didn't kill anyone.

[kerry]

It will be interesting to hear the Cirrus pilots point of view.  17L really stands out making 17R look like a taxi way.  I could see this happening to a pilot unfamiliar with the airport.  It happened to me first time at KCCR.  Tower told me the mistake is quite common to first comers to KCCR.  Just glad another aircraft wasn't on approach. 

[Davidv]

4 minutes ago, kerry said:

It will be interesting to hear the Cirrus pilots point of view.  17L really stands out making 17R look like a taxi way.  I could see this happening to a pilot unfamiliar with the airport.  It happened to me first time at KCCR.  Tower told me the mistake is quite common to first comers to KCCR.  Just glad another aircraft wasn't on approach. 

I heard an interesting exchange last week while landing at my home airport (KRBD) which has runways 35 and 31.

Tower: "46BL cleared to land runway 35"

Tower: "N1234 (student You'll be following a citation on a 3 mile straight in to runway 35 (thought I was a Citation, usually I get MU2 if anything but Citation was a first!)"

Tower: "12345 cleared to land runway 35"

I land, taxing back in I hear:

Tower: "N1234 can you explain what you just did?"

N1234: "Yes sir, I had an unstabilized approach so I went around"

Tower: "Ok...but I cleared you to land on 35 and you went around on 31".

[RJBrown]

That’s my old Airport. 
Just watched the radar trace. That Cirrus pilot is a disaster.

cut around the 172 and missed seeing the metroliner.

seriously sloppy flying. That is the type of flying that has lead to the Cirrus taking the “Dr. killer” reputation from the Bonanza.

He had more money than sence. He should count himself lucky and NEVER fly again.
 

Key Lime flew a perfect approach. He was always where he should have been. His “right base” was so far north as to be outside the Centennial class D.

He was on a IRF visual approach. His flight path is the normal way you get into Centennial from the north. You come in over downtown Denver to avoid DEN’s class B. Make your right base no further south than the reservoir. Then straight in.
 

The Cirrus was VFR. Simply out playing. He was way too fast and way too low on downwind. Flew sloppy corners. Probably never saw Key Lime off to his left as he looked right to find the airport. The Cirrus blew through the final to 17R and 17L. 100% stupid pilot tricks.

Key Lime was pure professionalism. Cirrus was a Darwin candidate.

‘This and the girl landing at Stellar are totally different. She made a mistake that anyone of us can. Miss identified a string of lights late at night after a long flight. A stabilized approach to the wrong string of lights. She can learn and become a better pilot. She was closer to her runway’s final course than the Cirrus.

This Cirrus pilot did everything wrong. He is what is wrong with flying today. With enough money even a monkey can get a license. 

[RJBrown]

15 minutes ago, kerry said:

It will be interesting to hear the Cirrus pilots point of view.  17L really stands out making 17R look like a taxi way.  I could see this happening to a pilot unfamiliar with the airport.  It happened to me first time at KCCR.  Tower told me the mistake is quite common to first comers to KCCR.  Just glad another aircraft wasn't on approach. 

He was based at Centennial. That is where his “fun flight” took off from. No excuses for this one. He should lose his ticket forever. 
Those two runways are easy to see. 17R is 75’ by 7000’ it is not tiny.

Edited May 13, 2021 by RJBrown
Add diagram