Plane Crashes in Marsh Outside of Waupun on Way to EAA
Jul. 24—TOWN OF WAUPUN — Emergency workers were able to rescue two people from Texas on Saturday night after the plane that they were traveling in to the EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh crashed in a marsh outside of Waupun.
Fond du Lac County dispatchers took a report at 7:51 p.m. Saturday about a plane crash in the area of Highway 49 and Hemp Road, according to the Fond du Lac Sheriff's Office. The pilot of the plane called the dispatch center shortly after the initial report and provided an updated location.
Due to the large marsh area where the plane had crashed, it was difficult for rescue teams to locate the plane and then find a way to access it once it was located. The Alto Fire Department, Brandon Fire Department, and Waupun Fire Department all used UTV's in attempt to locate the plane.
The Alto UTV with the Lifestar EMS unit was the first to reach the crash site, according to a Facebook post on the Alto Fire Department's Facebook page.
"The crews on the UTVs were driving through 8' to 10' tall cattails, stopping periodically to stand on top of the UTV to see where they were at," according to the post. "They also used the GPS coordinates to help navigate their way to the crash site."
Once the plane was located, rescue teams were able to bring the two people out of the area.
The pair were headed to EAA in Oshkosh, according to the Fond du Lac Sheriff's Office. The plane last left an airport in Cedar Rapids approximately two hours before the crash. The pilot explained he was approximately 10 minutes from his destination when the engine suddenly lost power forcing him to make an emergency landing in a marshy area. The plane received damage to a wing and the pilot was treated for a possible shoulder injury by Lifestar Ambulance. The plane involved was a single engine ERCO Ercoupe.
The pilot was a 76-year-old male and the copilot was a 71-year-old male. The city of Fond du Lac Police Department assisted with a drone.
The crash is still under investigation.
The experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture convention is this week in Oshkosh which brings over 500,000 people and thousands of airplanes to Wittman Regional Airport each year.
Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or call 920-356-6760
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