Posted on 07/30/2023 11:13:52 AM PDT by DFG
UPDATE-Sunday the names of victims in this crash were released. They are identified as pilot 68-year-old Mark Peterson of Foley, Alabama and passenger 72-year-old Thomas Volz of Amelia, Ohio.
Two people lost their lives when a helicopter and gyrocopter crashed in the air near the Ultralight Runway at EAA AirVenture just before 12:30 Saturday.
The collision sent both aircraft to the ground and one landed on a parked plane. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office tells EAA two more people are hurt, but stable, right now.
“Obviously somebody was in the wrong place at some time and that will be part of the investigation,” EAA Spokesperson Dick Knapinski said.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported the aircraft involved were a Rotorway 162F and an ELA 10 Eclipse. Neither aircraft was involved in an airshow. Both belonged to AirVenture attendees.
The crash closed Wittman Regional Airport for close to two hours as emergency crews stepped in.
“People were there willing to help and people stepped in immediately trying to help even before the fire department and first responders arrived,” Knapinski explained.
Knapinski told Action 2 News EAA, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and Oshkosh Fire Department responded. United States Air Force firefighters extinguished fire coming from the helicopter.
(Excerpt) Read more at wbay.com ...
Just as well. I was there once with a friend who died in January or February of 2021, and my son, who died from a long-term battle with cancer. Probably too many memories would come up as soon as I got to the parking lot.
I’ve been to several and the sheer amount of aviation traffic has to be seen to be believed. The EEA folks and volunteers do an incredible job. Frankly it’s a wonder there aren’t more incidents like this. Feel bad for all involved.
They should make the air show a bit longer so everyone is not squashed into just one weekend ,need to extend it to include two weekends.
Not necessarily. If both were flying under visual flight rules (VFR) and in visual meteorological conditions (VMC), as they likely were, it’s the responsibility of the crews of both aircraft to “see and avoid.” The NTSB will be able to reconstruct the incident, and no doubt there will be a good amount of eyewitness testimony, video, and tower comms available. Who “sneaked up” on whom and collided will be determined.
The Fiske, Warbird, IFR, and other arrivals into Oshkosh are an amazing orchestration and ballet conducted by ATC and the thousands of aircraft & crews coming in. Same for the airshows, departures, and asynchronous arrivals during the event. Makes sense that an incident might occur in between those spaces when one or more persons let down their guard and the safety chain breaks. I’m a pilot and in the codger category, and I know how less than ideal eyesight, flexibility, and reaction time affect lookout doctrine and responses to emergency situations. The deceased were 68 and 72. Perhaps it was past time for the 68 y/o pilot to fly with a younger, more vigorous crewmember.
§ 91.113 Right-of-way rules: Except water operations.
(a) Inapplicability. This section does not apply to the operation of an aircraft on water.
(b) General. When weather conditions permit, regardless of whether an operation is conducted under instrument flight rules or visual flight rules, vigilance shall be maintained by each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft. When a rule of this section gives another aircraft the right-of-way, the pilot shall give way to that aircraft and may not pass over, under, or ahead of it unless well clear.
(c) In distress. An aircraft in distress has the right-of-way over all other air traffic.
(d) Converging. When aircraft of the same category are converging at approximately the same altitude (except head-on, or nearly so), the aircraft to the other’s right has the right-of-way. If the aircraft are of different categories—
(1) A balloon has the right-of-way over any other category of aircraft;(e) Approaching head-on. When aircraft are approaching each other head- on, or nearly so, each pilot of each aircraft shall alter course to the right.
(2) A glider has the right-of-way over an airship, powered parachute, weight- shift-control aircraft, airplane, or rotorcraft.
(3) An airship has the right-of-way over a powered parachute, weight-shift- control aircraft, airplane, or rotorcraft.
However, an aircraft towing or refueling other aircraft has the right-of- way over all other engine-driven air- craft.
(f) Overtaking. Each aircraft that is being overtaken has the right-of-way and each pilot of an overtaking aircraft shall alter course to the right to pass well clear.
(g) Landing. Aircraft, while on final approach to land or while landing, have the right-of-way over other aircraft in flight or operating on the surface, except that they shall not take advantage of this rule to force an aircraft off the runway surface which has already landed and is attempting to make way for an aircraft on final approach. When two or more aircraft are approaching an airport for the purpose of landing, the aircraft at the lower altitude has the right-of-way, but it shall not take advantage of this rule to cut in front of another which is on final approach to land or to overtake that aircraft.
[Doc. No. 18334, 54 FR 34294, Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt. 91-282, 69 FR 44880, July 27, 2004]
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title14-vol2/pdf/CFR-2012-title14-vol2-sec91-113.pdf
Used to have a great air show by EEA at Arlington airport in WA. A crash caused the EAA to close the show. It used to be called EAA west. Then too, another great show shut down at Paine Field, WA due to insurance costs.
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