Midair collision would be fifth in Colorado since 2000

The crash of two planes over Longmont on Friday, if confirmed by authorities to be a midair collision, would be the fifth midair collision in Colorado since 2000, according to a National Transportation Safety Board database.

The last midair collision occurred near Boulder in February 2010, when a Cirrus SR20 carrying two people and a Piper Pawnee that was towing a glider collided. All three people on the two planes died in that accident.

Other midair collisions occurred in Denver in 2003, in Snowmass Village in 2003 and in Whitewater in 2008.

The airplanes involved in Friday's crash were small general aviation aircraft, and much of the local airspace is designated as uncontrolled by the FAA. In normal daytime conditions, pilots may operate without flight plans or communicating with controllers and other pilots in uncontrolled airspace.

http://www.timescall.com