C-180, Centurion Carrying Prisoners Both Land Safely

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 10.22.08 1245 EDT: Six people are reported safe after two Cessna aircraft collided Wednesday morning in the skies south of Grand Junction, CO.

Local media reports state the FAA received reports of a midair collision around 8:45 am MDT, involving a Cessna 180 and Cessna 210. The aircraft came in contact about 15 miles southeast of Grand Junction.

The two people onboard the C-180 (type shown at right) were able to make a safe emergency landing near Whitewater, and they called in to authorities to say they were OK. Barbara Chappell, an assistant at the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, told The Denver Post authorities are now searching for the plane, which is registered to a business out of Monte Vista, CO.

"It's very miraculous," Chappell said. "There were no injuries."

The C-210  was operated by the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, and was transporting two prisoners to a Colorado Department of Corrections facility. The Centurion (type shown below) continued on to Grand Junction, and landed safely at 8:57 am. None of the four persons onboard were injured.

The FAA is rushing personnel to southwest Colorado, to investigate what seems to be an extremely unusual incident.

FMI: www.faa.gov, http://sheriff.mesacounty.us/