2 Killed After Helicopter, Gyrocopter Collide Midair in Wisconsin

A pilot flies a gyrocopter in the Philippines on Sept. 6, 2010. TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)

Two people died and two others were injured after a helicopter and a gyrocopter collided midair at an airport in Wisconsin, according to authorities.

The collision took place on July 29 shortly after noon local time at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter it is “investigating a midair collision between a Rotorway 162F aircraft and an ELA Eclipse 10 aircraft near Oshkosh, Wisconsin.”

The aircrafts belonged to people who were attending the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA’s) annual fly-in convention in Oshkosh. Those people were not involved in the air show, according to a statement from the EAA.

“The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department confirmed two people were killed and two injured in the accident,” the statement reads. “The injured parties were transported to a local hospital and are each in stable condition.”

Separately, a plane crashed into Lake Winnebago near Oshkosh on the same day, killing two people who were on board, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said. The crash involved a single-engine North American T-6 aircraft.

The accident occurred around 9 a.m. The sheriff’s department is working closely with EAA, the NTSB, and the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the crash.

The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes said on Twitter that the plane was “reportedly maneuvering before rapidly descending from around [3,000 feet] altitude,” and that the lake was about 20 feet deep with poor visibility.

The identities of those who died in both accidents “have not been released pending notification of family members,” the EAA said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.