Pilot error blamed for fatal Warbird crash in Lake Winnebago during EAA AirVenture
The NTSB says pilot Devyn Reiley “likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering”
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - The National Transportation Safety Board released its final report on the Warbird crash during EAA AirVenture 2023 that killed the pilot and passenger.
The crash into Lake Winnebago killed 30-year-old Devyn Reiley and her passenger, 20-year-old Zach Colliemoreno.
The NTSB report blames pilot error.
On July 29, 2023, Reiley’s North American AT-6D took off from Wittman Regional Airport at 8:57 a.m. on a flight path over Lake Winnebago.
It reached a peak altitude of 3,900 feet, and then made a right turn followed by a left turn. During the turns, the plane slowed from 110 mph to 87 mph, and then dropped rapidly. It crashed 8 minutes after takeoff.
The plane broke apart and sank in 20 feet of water.
The NTSB says based on the information available, Reiley “likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering and exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack,” causing the plane to go into an aerodynamic stall. A witness described the plane being in a flat spin.
Reiley was an experienced Warbird pilot and founder of the Texas Warbirds Museum.
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