skyking3286
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2012
- Messages
- 422
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skyking3286
Airport shut down until after the airshow, black smoke south of ultralight area. In hold for a long time. . . cam shows a man pointing
to the south out of camera view during a light copter/gyro demo pattern, as camera pans smoke appears. Equipment and scooters roll
immediately.
Social media report: "Two ultralights (helicopter and stol plane) mid air collision. Was just outside of our airplane campsite."
FURTHER UPDATE FROM SCANNER TRAFFIC: Involves a fatality. One Helicopter and a gyro seems likely, due to the pattern activity and
the fact that STOL planes weren't flying in the demo. Airshow is being affected as they try to move planes that are shut down due to
the recovery ops. AirBoss got the runways at :23 after the hour.
UPDATE SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENT:
2 seat helo lost power. Collided midair with an ELA gyroplane.
2 on the helo killed on impact.
Gyro pilot serious injuries but alive.
FINAL UPDATE FROM THE OSHKOSH NWrn:
OSHKOSH - Two people were killed and two were injured Saturday when a helicopter and a gyrocopter collided in mid-air at Wittman Regional Airport, where the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture event is being held.
The injured people were taken to a local hospital and are in stable condition, according to a statement from EAA director of communications Dick Knapinski.
Just before 12:30 p.m., the helicopter, a Rotorway 162F, collided with the gyrocopter, an ELA Eclipse 10, at the south end of the EAA AirVenture flightline at Wittman Regional Airport, the EAA statement said.
The gyrocopter landed on top of a parked plane, according to the Oshkosh Fire Department.
"Aircraft operations at Wittman were halted while the accident was initially investigated," the EAA statement said. "The afternoon air show at the event did begin approximately on schedule, shortly after 2:30 p.m. CDT. ... These were aircraft that belonged to event attendees and were not involved in the air show. More details are still being gathered at this time. Further updates will be available as they are confirmed."
The National Transportation Safety Board said it's investigating the incident.
The collision happened on the same day that two people died when their T-6 Texan airplane crashed into Lake Winnebago north of Oshkosh.
Tragic. Rest in Peace and peace to the families involved.
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