Miami Injury Lawyer Blog
A pilot and a stunt walker are dead after a plane crashed and exploded into flames at an Ohio air show Saturday. The 450 HP Stearman crashed around 12:45 p.m. near Dayton at the Vectren Air Show as thousands of spectators looked on in disbelief. No spectators were injured in the accident. A video of the scene showed the plane turning upside-down as the wing walker, Jane Wicker, sat on top of the wing. The plane then tilted and sped towards the ground. Spectators yelled out in terror as the plane exploded on the ground.
An aviation photographer, Ian Hoyt, was taking photographs at the air show. He was about to take a photograph when he saw the plane was flying “too low and too slow.” He said before he knew it, the plane had crashed. Hoyt said it appeared to him that the plane did not have enough air speed and that it had stalled. Hoyt also stated that the pilot appeared to steer clear of the crowd and probably saved lives.
The biplane was registered to Wicker, according to federal records. The pilot of the plane is suspected to be Charlie Schwenker. Jane Wicker’s Airshows’ Facebook page announced the deaths of Wicker and Schwenker. Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Anne Ralston and Daytona International Airport spokeswoman Linda Hughes confirmed the deaths of a stunt walker and pilot, but refused to release their names. The air show also refused to release the identities of the deceased. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Another wing walker, Todd Green, fell to his death in 2011 at a Michigan air show as he attempted to perform a stunt on a helicopter. Jim LeRoy, a veteran stunt pilot, died in 2007 at the Dayton air show when his biplane crashed into runway and blew up in flames.
Wing walker, pilot die in crash at Ohio air show, www.palmbeachpost.com June 22, 2013
Airplane accidents have been occurring more frequently in recent years, oftentimes due to power outages, mechanical failures, or inexperienced pilots. Many innocent individuals have lost their lives aboard airplanes, as these crashes almost always involve fatalities. Jonathan Friedland and Michael Carmona are aviation accident attorneys with over twenty years of experience helping clients and their families after motor vehicle accidents. The Coral Gables insurance litigation attorneys have dedicated their careers to recovering compensation for those who have suffered wrongful death as a result of manufacturing defects or poor piloting. If you have been injured or a family member has died in a motor vehicle accident, call (305) 661-2008 today for your free consultation.
The Miami personal injury attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of motor vehicle accidents throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls and construction site injuries. Call today and let our family take care of your family!