Two people died on Monday after a plane they were in crashed in a farm field about 2 miles south of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture grounds, according to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office.
The annual AirVenture event kicked off in Oshkosh on Monday, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the community. Each year, roughly 10,000 visitors fly to the convention themselves.
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call just after noon about a plane that went down in a farm field in the town of Nekimi. The sheriff’s office was joined by area first responders and the National Transportation Safety Board. The crash was reported by Air Traffic Controllers on the EAA grounds.
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“Upon arrival, responders discovered that the plane was fully engulfed in fire,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “At this time, we can confirm that there were two occupants in the plane, and that they are both deceased.”
Officials are withholding the names of the deceased occupants until the family is notified. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
“Our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the deceased occupants,” the sheriff’s office added.
In 2023, four people were killed and two others were injured during two different aircraft incidents related to the AirVenture event.
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