Five people were taken to the hospital after the crash of a Piper Malibu landing at AirVenture Oshkosh early Wednesday. EAA spokesman Dick Knapinski said the aircraft was landing on Runway 27 when it crashed just before 8 a.m. There was smoke reported but firefighters were on the scene in one minute and any fire was extinguished. The airport was closed for at least two hours but Knapinski said he hoped the main runway (18/36) could be opened quickly. The accident runway is often reserved for IFR arrivals and departures but it’s not clear if that was the case at the time. Inbound traffic was diverted to Appleton, Fond du Lac and several other auxiliary airports in the area and departures were cancelled.
Knapinski said four of the five occupants were able to get out of the aircraft on their own and they were all taken to the hospital by ambulance. The fifth person was airlifted to an unknown local hospital. The condition of the occupants wasn’t immediately known. FAA and NTSB officials are on hand for the show and were investigating within minutes of the crash.
