Two separate aircraft accidents occurred in Wisconsin on July 29.
The first accident saw a plane crash into a lake, while the second was a mid-air collision between two aircraft at Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The second incident occurred during the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture event, sparking safety concerns among aviation enthusiasts. Two people were killed, Mark Peterson, 69, and Thomas Volz, 72, and two were injured. The injured individuals were rushed to a local hospital and are reported to be in stable condition, according to EAA director of communications, Dick Knapinski. The collision, which involved a Rotorway 162F helicopter and an ELA Eclipse 10 gyrocopter, occurred just before 12:30 pm at the southern end of the EAA AirVenture flightline. The Oshkosh Fire Department reported that the gyrocopter landed on top of a parked plane.
In the aftermath of the incident, Wittman Airport authorities paused all aircraft operations for the preliminary investigation. However, the afternoon’s air show at the event commenced as scheduled at around 2:30 p.m. It was clarified that the aircraft involved in the collision were not part of the air show. The identities of the aircraft owners and attendees are still under verification.
The National Transportation Safety Board is spearheading the investigation to determine the circumstances of the collision. Notably, the incident happened on the same day that two people died when their T-6 Texan airplane crashed into Lake Winnebago, north of Oshkosh. Devyn Reiley, 30, the daughter of Super Bowl-winning Eagles offensive lineman Bruce Collie, died along with her co-pilot Zach Colliemoreno, 20, five minutes after take-off.
This year’s EAA AirVenture event, which started on Monday and was due to end on Sunday, has seen a total of five crashes in the region, though the incidents before Saturday’s collisions did not result in serious injuries. As the investigations continue, the aviation community remains focused on improving safety measures for future events and flights.