Tragedy struck at the 70th annual Experimental Aircraft Association Airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as two crashes involving airshow attendees occurred on the same day, resulting in four fatalities.
According to EAA Communications Director Dick Knapinski, authorities have identified the victims of the crashes. “About 12:24 pm on Saturday we did have the gyrocopter and the helicopter have a midair collision down at the south end of the Regional Whittman Airport flight line. We have identified the two deceased who were both in the rotorway helicopter, the pilot Mark Peterson age 69 of Foley, Alabama, his passenger was Thomas Volz age 72 of Amelia, Ohio,” he stated.
Knapinski also identified the victims of the T-26 accident earlier on Saturday morning as 30-year-old Devyn Reilly of Guadalupe, Texas, and the passenger 20-year-old Zach Koly Merano.
The cause of the accidents is currently under investigation by authorities.
“We’ve been working with the families that were involved and I think we did a good job of responding and making the first response and dealing with the families as best we could. It’s tough, there’s a family here as you know, and you never like to see anything happen to anybody. We’ll recover and figure out the next steps,” stated EAA Chief Executive Officer Jack Pelton.
These tragic events serve as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with aviation and the devastating impact that accidents can have. It underlines the need for ongoing safety measures, thorough investigations, and support for those affected by such incidents.