OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN: A day of excitement turned to tragedy at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow when two fatal crashes occurred, claiming the lives of four individuals, including that of Devyn Reiley, the daughter of Super Bowl champion Bruce Collie. The first incident occurred around 9 am on Saturday, July 29, when Devyn, piloting a vintage WW2-era T-6 Texan aircraft, crashed into Lake Winnebago, leading to the death of her and the co-pilot, Zach Colliemoreno. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane spiraling downward before the tragic impact.
The second incident happened shortly after midday at an airfield near the airshow site when a helicopter piloted by Mark Peterson, 69, an Alabama-based instructor and engineer, was struck from below by a gyrocopter, leading to a fiery crash. Both Peterson and his passenger, Thomas Volz, 72, died in the collision. The accidents have left the aviation community in shock as the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Airshow is one of the largest aviation events in the country, drawing thousands of planes and hundreds of thousands of attendees. Both crashes are currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). "Having accidents like this in the singular is very rare. Having two fatal accidents take place on the same day is exceedingly rare," Dick Knapinski, spokesman for the airshow, told Fox 59.
Who was Devyn Reiley?
Devyn, the eldest among 13 children of Collie, the former San Francisco 49ers star, along with her husband, Hunter Reiley, who was also present at the airshow, operated a flight training school in Texas. Collie's eldest daughter was a certified private pilot, earning her certification in 2017, and held an ardent passion for aviation. She felt proud to represent the history of female aviators by flying historical aircraft. She was lately pursuing training to become a commercial air pilot and had been accepted into the Air Force reserves with the aim of flying refuelers.
She first met her husband at an aviation gathering in Oshkosh and celebrated their third wedding anniversary at the same venue on July 27. To mark the occasion, Devyn posted on Facebook, writing, "We got married during 'NOshkosh' so we could celebrate every year at Oshkosh!" Reiley wrote on July 26, celebrating their anniversary, adding, "Here's to living and chasing our dreams together for many more years to come with my best friend at my side."
Hunter took to Facebook to pay tribute to his late wife and wrote, "We talked about making this at Oshkosh. Didn’t think it’d be forever… I can’t wait till hold your hand again. The ghosts of Airventure… ?." The post featured a video containing various memorable moments of the couple, portraying their shared love for aviation.
Mark Peterson and Thomas Volz's helicopter was hit by a gyrocopter
The second crash during the airshow took the lives of Mark Peterson and Thomas Volz, who were from Amelia, Ohio, as a gyrocopter hit their helicopter, leading to the aircraft bursting into flames. Even though the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department and the Oshkosh Fire Department were quick to reach the scene after the collision, which took place at 12.30 pm, nothing could be done. "Naturally, with the mid-air collision, somebody was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Knapinski remarked about the incident.
Thomas, an Air Force veteran and cancer survivor, was at the airshow with his grandson, who delivered the heartbreaking news of his death to his devastated wife, Patty. "They tell me they never knew what happened," said the wife, adding, "It hit and burst into flames and it went straight down. He said, 'I hate to tell you this, Grammy, but Babi has passed away' - that's what they called him. I just screamed and said, 'No, he's not! No, he's not!' It was a horrific accident. They were hit by a gyrocopter from underneath as they were coming into land."
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