A number of fatal air incidents have befallen the world’s largest air show, EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this weekend.
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Several Fatal Accidents At EAA AirVenture 2023
This weekend, three fatal accidents occurred at AirVenture resulting in the loss of at least four lives, two others have not yet reported status but are undeniably in grave danger.
South Bend Indiana
En route to the air show, a plane had issues and attempted to ditch but was unsuccessful:
“In another incident, a pilot and a passenger were on their way to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh from South Bend, Indiana, when the aircraft lost power. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in the cornfield.” – Airlive.net
The image (via Airlive.net) of a flipped-over single-engine aircraft is hard to get out of one’s mind. Both the pilot and a passenger lost their lives in the incident.
North American AT-6D Texan Crashes In Lake
Another pilot and passenger took off in a North American AT-6D aircraft from Wittman Regional Airport (Oshkosh.) Shortly after departure, it crashed into Lake Winnebago, WI killing both onboard. The NTSB is said to be investigating the incident.
The aircraft is described as a “basic combat trainer” with both seats inline, the passenger behind the pilot, harkens back to an original design from the late 1930s, and formerly went by the name: Harvard III.
“It was reportedly maneuvering before rapidly descending from about 3,000 feet altitude, the Coast Guard said, adding that the lake is about 20 feet deep, with poor visibility, at the crash site.” – The Northwestern
Divers have recovered the occupants.
Two Aircraft Collide in Mid-Air
A pair of rotary-wing aircraft (helicopter) was involved in a collision connected with attendees at the air show. There were two pilots and two passengers involved. There are two reported fatalities from this event and two are injured. The extent of those injuries is unknown at this time.
“Two people were killed and another two injured in a mid-air collision Saturday involving a helicopter and a gyrocopter near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, officials said, while another two other people were killed in a separate incident in which a small plane crashed into a nearby lake.” – CBS News
What Is EAA AirVenture?
Every year, thousands of private pilots and aviation enthusiasts descend on Oshkosh, Wisconsin to participate in the world’s largest air show. The “fly-in” event is organized by the EAA is better known as the Oshkosh Air Show, or simply, Oshkosh. The Experimental Aircraft Association runs the event and many others throughout the country around the year. EAA encourages those flying in to explore the greater Oshkosh area. Airventure ticketing varies in price by duration (whole event, one day) and whether the entrant will be camping on the AirVenture grounds.
Boeing sponsors tickets for entrants under the age of 18. EAA Young Eagles, started in 1992 offers free introductory flights (30 minutes) to young aviators curious about exploring the field. My mother brought me down to our local FBO just a few years after the program began and following that introduction, I began self-funded flight lessons on money I’d earned from mowing lawns. It didn’t take long for the cost of lessons to greatly exceed the local market for landscaping and I eventually had to stop. The program is essential for young aviators and I can only hope my children take the same opportunity I was afforded by EAA.
How Does This Happen?
Unfortunate events happen in civilian aviation with more frequency than in commercial aviation in part because pilots typically have less experience than commercial pilots. Airlines have rigorous maintenance programs, inspected by federal officials whereas private pilots may outsource maintenance to others with variable levels of quality or do the work themselves. They also fly into smaller fields with less ATC support.
For Oshkosh, the airspace is incredibly crowded for the event. The FAA tweeted that Oshkosh’s tower handled 3,196 movements over the weekend. For comparison, Atlanta Hartsfield averages 2,018 movements per day and operates five runways with far more experienced pilots.
Yesterday, July 27, we had 3,196 tower operations on just two runways – a new @EAA AirVenture record! Kudos to all our controllers and technicians for the safe operations. #OSH23 pic.twitter.com/9dMusjajQd
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) July 28, 2023
For the accident that occurred in South Bend, Indiana en route to Oshkosh, it’s relation to the event is simply in destination and an unfortunate situation. The others may have come down to visibility, experience, or equipment.
Conclusion
Oshkosh has historically been a very safe, fun, and educational weekend for aviation enthusiasts. Three tragic accidents involving four aircraft and eight aviators and passengers have occurred in connection with the 2023 event. For at least six, those accidents have been fatal. Our thoughts are with the families of those victims this weekend.
What do you think?
I spent many summers of my youth at the EAA in Oshkosh, when my Dad was the president of the Bellanca-Champion Club. So many amazing memories. I loved all the military gear and the mock bombing runs.
But, every year, one or more people would die either arriving or departing EAA. And there were airshow tragedies as well, I remember one year – maybe 1995 – in which someone flew too close to the ground doing stunts and the plane became a fireball.
Umm… Didn’t they happen enroute or away from the event?
I also crashed my Bonanza in 2007 a cornfield on the way to Oshkosh and survived due to the excellent training I have had from my father and numerous instructors. Land with the furrows and most important is to keep enough airspeed to properly flare without engine power. I entered the “green wave” of corn stalks beating over my airplane in a full flare with the yoke all the way back , settled on the mains, after which the left main collapsed and I slid to a stop. It is sad that these two couldn’t have had the same outcome.
“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect.” – Commonly attributed to Captain Alfred Gilmer Lamplugh, British Aviation Insurance Group, circa early 1930’s.
Any pilot can crash, even the “best” and most experienced, we’re all human. The lists of Navy Blue Angels crashes, Air Force Thunderbird crashes and Air Show crashes are much too long to copy here.
GA has more crashes than any other area of aviation ultimately due to stupid human tricks: running out of gas, flying into instrument conditions without IFR competence, flying into a cumulogranite cloud while flying (too) low to avoid IMC, flat hatting. There are MANY pilots with thousands of hours and decades of flying experience who have never had an event.
I’m not at all happy with the headline or the suggestion that the EAA is unsafe or responsible for at least 2 of these tragedies. You even admit as such (too far down for those who subscribe to TLDR) that the South Bend flight was “en route to the air show…” and the accident is circumstantial, not a direct correlation. Were there any car accidents that happened to those driving to the show?
The two helicopters colliding is the only event which one can reasonably draw a direct correlation between the event’s crowded airspace and safety. The details for the lake crash says the LAKE has poor visibility, not the actual airspace, and the aircraft suddenly lost altitude.
These are all tragic events, but a headline implying that all of these are somehow the fault of the EAA or ATC in the area is irresponsible.
First of all I’m sorry for the loss of life and my condolences to the families.
My question is the title says “Multiple Fatal Crashes at Largest Air Show” but which of the accidents actually happened at the air show? It appears as though most if not all of these crashes happened as pilots were making their way to the show not at the actual show itself.
For the sake of transparency and journalistic integrity, you need to follow up with important questions:
Did the crew suffer strokes or cardiac events?
Were they vaxed?
We now know, due to Pfizer’s own acknowledgement, CDC documents, and the VAERS data, that heart attacks, blood clots and strokes occur more commonly than was previously admitted.
Is air travel safe any more?
Glad to see that you have outed yourself as another LYING writer!
Your headline: “MULTIPLE FATAL CRASHES AT LARGEST AIR SHOW”
Reality: one mid-air collision at the show between a Helicopter and Gyrocopter.
Neither of the other “fatal crashes” occurred AT the show. One en route there, and one en route home.
Stop wasting our time. You don’t deserve to get paid for this drivel.
I’m still looking for your check, is it in the mail?