Devyn and Hunter Reiley had just celebrated their three-year wedding anniversary days before the fatal crash. Facebook/Devyn Reiley.
As a dad of a daughter who just celebrated her first anniversary, this really brings tears to my eyes.
Posted on 07/31/2023 8:42:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Four people were killed in two separate crashes during an airshow in Wisconsin over the weekend — including the daughter of two-time Super Bowl-winning offensive lineman Bruce Collie — days after celebrating her third wedding anniversary.
Collie’s daughter, Devyn Reiley, 30, and her co-pilot Zach Colliemoreno, 20, were flying a World War II-era T-6 Texan during the AirVenture Oshkosh airshow when the aircraft plunged into Lake Winnebago at around 9 a.m. Saturday, five minutes after takeoff, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
The vintage aircraft had reached 3,900 feet before plummeting into the lake.
Witnesses of the fatal crash said the plane was spinning uncontrollably on the way down before slamming into the water.
“I thought they were doing a trick at first,” said Brayden Hiebing, who had been fishing in the lake when the plane crashed, told NBC.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I remember Bruce Collie with the 49ers in the mid-80s. Solid player. Very sad for him and family.
Yes, I remember him well. After he left football he became religious. He has 13 children, and I think the girl who died is his oldest.
I don’t know anything about any of the people in this article, but that’s a horrible story, and I extend my sympathies to the bereaved.
For an aircraft to have been ‘spinning uncontrollably’ makes me wonder if it was in ‘flight ready’ condition to begin with.
"WW II era" is a description of risk.
Gee, do you think it was then it wasn't?? Things break during flight.
The Texans were trainers and I understand quite easy to fly and had good glide ratios. Maybe a control cable broke to the tail. If it had just lost power she should have been able to deadstick it.
Devyn and Hunter Reiley had just celebrated their three-year wedding anniversary days before the fatal crash. Facebook/Devyn Reiley.
As a dad of a daughter who just celebrated her first anniversary, this really brings tears to my eyes.
A spin is the result of a sudden aerodynamic imbalance on top of a stall; at least that is one cause of a spin. Every aircraft has its own procedures for recovering from a spin, some a little more touchy than others. I don’t know if this was the case, but it seems an experienced pilot would know how to recover.
I hadda look up the T-6 Texan. Looks like the SBD Dauntless.
It also very possible that they had a mechanical breakdown in the control mechanisms.
These types of accidents make me sad and angry at the same time. If it is determined to be a spin and no mechanical issues, then I blame the FAA. During pilot training, spins are not required to be introduced nor demonstrated to trainees. Only spin awareness is taught in the ground training phase. The only time spin training has to be performed is for Instructor training. As a matter of fact, you don’t have to demonstrate spin recoveries during your checkride for CFI. Yet how many people have to die from spins before the FAA makes it a requirement?
but it seems an experienced pilot would know how to recover.
I think it depends on how much time (which is based on just how high you are). The report says 3,900 feet which in the great scheme of things is not that high which translates into very little time to react.
AT 16 Texan trainer. Still a lot of them still flying.
And that’s why I don’t go to air shows. If a crashing plane is headed right for you you’ll die. There are no evasive maneuvers you can take.
“AT 16 Texan trainer. Still a lot of them still flying.”
On any given weekday there will be many of them flying around south Alabama and north Florida, both Air Force and Navy. I live outside of Mobile and they fly over my house regularly. I look at Flightradar24 periodically during the day.
AIRCRAFT TYPE (TEX2)
Beech T-6A Texan II
...just for the record, the aircraft in the background is not a North American AT-6 “Texan” advanced trainer, but is a Vultee BT-13A “Valiant” basic trainer.......
Probably a stall spin. Either by inattention, or possibly instructing and blew it.
Big ground, little plane.
Even AGL vs MSL, no time to recover.
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