Tragic news over the weekend in Wisconsin.
During a scheduled airshow, two separate air crashes left four dead and two injured near Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The first crash held the daughter of two-time Super Bowl Campion, Bruce Collie. Collie’s daughter, Devyn Reiley, 30, and her co-pilot Zach Colliemoreno, 20, were flying a small plane during the AirVenture Oshkosh.
The show started at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and once the vintage plane hit an altitude of 3,900 feet, the aircraft plummeted into Lake Winnebago.
USA Today reported that the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) issued a statement on the accident:
“There were two occupants in the plane, a T-6 Texan, and recovery efforts for the deceased occupants and also the plane began shortly afterward.”
Many bystanders noted that the plane spun uncontrollably as it went into the lake. The USCG tweeted shortly after that recovery efforts successfully found the plane and the bodies.
“Dive crews have located 2nd POB. Local authorities will conduct recovery ops, including aircraft & are coordinating NOK notifications. All USCG assets have been released from the case.”
The local airports delayed any planes entering the air, and an investigation has been launched to determine why the plane went down.
A second tragedy occurred shortly after the air opened again around noon.
Reported the New York Post:
“Later that day, around 12:30 p.m., a second disaster struck near the airshow after an ELA 10 Eclipse gyrocopter collided in mid-air with a RotorWay162F helicopter.
The pilot of the helicopter, Mark Peterson, 69, and passenger Thomas Volz, 72, were both killed.
A gyrocopter resembles a small helicopter, but its propeller is situated in the rear.”
Two other individuals were injured in the collision but were noted as stable after receiving medical attention.
All of the airplanes and aircrafts took flight out of the same airport, and the location had five incidents in that week, these two being the only ones that were fatal.
Devyn Reiley was one of thirteen children from the former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Bruce Collie.
All of Reiley’s siblings noted that Devyn was fascinated with aviation from a young age and loved to talk about all things flying with those she encountered. She was also very passionate about sharing the history of female WWII aviators.
Reiley and her husband Hunter co-owned a flight school in Texas, and he attended the air show with Reiley that day. The couple had just celebrated their wedding anniversary on July 26th.
Our thoughts are with the individuals and families affected by these tragic events.
