A pilot and wing walker died today after a tragic crash during an air show in Detroit.
The accident occurred during the third act of the show at 12:46 p.m. Emergency responders arrived where the plane crashed within seconds but could do nothing to help either person on board. The airplane wreckage was removed approximately four hours later.
“Then I realized they were too low and too slow. And before I knew it, they hit the ground,” witness Ian Hoyt told The Detroit News.
The Ohio State Patrol and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the cause of the crash. The FAA was already on scene at the time of the accident. The rest of the air show was immediately canceled after the accident.
“It is with sad hearts that we announce that Jane Wicker and Charlie Schwenker were tragically killed while performing at the Vectren Dayton Airshow” Jane Wicker Airshows said in a press release on their Facebook page.
The Vectren Dayton Air show is one of the best-known air shows in the country. Attendance has declined somewhat because the Air Force Thunderbirds cannot attend the show due to federal budget cutbacks.
None of the spectators were harmed.