2 Die in Wisconsin Plane Crash into Lake Winnebago

July 27, 2011

A 47-year-old man from Makanda, Illinois, and 36-year-old woman from Kimberly, Wisconsin, died Monday, July 26, when their plane crashed into Lake Winnebago.

The male was piloting the 1940 Piper Club, which was returning from the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The plane was registered to Wilmington, Delaware’s Tri Star Aviation Services Inc.

A rescuer told The Post Crescent that the plane slammed into six-feet-deep water about a half-mile off the West Shore near Wendt’s On the Lake, N9699 Lakeshore Drive. Both victims were declared dead the scene.

Sheriff Mick Fink said the rescue was aided by a barge that was working nearby on a small island. It took rescuers an hour to extract the victims from the plane.

An investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board told The Post Crescent that she doesn’t think there were mechanical problems with the airplane. A full accident report could take more than a month, though a preliminary incident report will be issued in the next fews days.

Read more.

Do you think older planes are more likely to crash?

If you or someone you know has had their safety compromised on a commercial or private aircraft, contact the national aviation lawyers at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy.

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