3 dead after 2 small planes collide mid-air near Denver

Image: KDVR

Two small airplanes collided in mid-air Saturday near Denver, killing three people, authorities said.

The two occupants of one of the airplanes were both found dead in the wreckage and the occupant of the second plane was also found dead in wreckage at a separate location, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

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

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement posted on Twitter that it was investigating a collision between a Cessna 172 and a Sonex Xenos aircraft near Longmont, Colorado.

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Image: KDVR

Longmont is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Denver.

The Sonex Xenos is a light, aluminum, low-wing homebuilt aircraft that seats two. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a popular single-engine aircraft that seats four.