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Skydivers capture harrowing mid-air plane crash on their helmet cams

Skydivers capture harrowing mid-air plane crash on their helmet cams

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Skydiver crash
Skydiver crash

To anyone that's afraid of skydiving, the below video probably seems like something out of a bad nightmare. The footage provides a first-person perspective as two planes, each loaded with a group of skydivers, suddenly collide in mid-air. A violent explosion follows, with some passengers hurled towards earth from the force of the crash, and others jumping to escape the dire situation. Miraculously, all 11 people involved survived the ordeal and landed safely on the ground — most without any serious injuries. One plane lost a wing in the collision, and its pilot suffered minor cuts before he managed to escape with the help of an emergency parachute. The accident happened in Wisconsin Saturday during an evening that one diver described as "a perfect time to be up in the sky."

FAA officials are still investigating just what led to the accident. Pilot Blake Wedan successfully landed his plane even after the impact. "It's kind of a joke now, but it was actually one of my better landings," he told Matt Lauer during an appearance on NBC's Today.  When asked who among them would be returning to the skies, everyone indicated they'd be diving again before long. "This is just who we are," said diver Barry Sinnex. NBC reportedly paid over $100,000 to secure exclusive rights to the footage. Network officials have defended this by arguing that NBC's competitors were also bidding for the jaw-dropping clip.