2 Minnesotans injured when homebuilt plane crashes, flips over in Wisconsin
Two Minnesotans were injured when their single-engine plane crashed at a Wisconsin airport Sunday.
The Vilas County, Wisconsin, Sheriff's Office told WAOW the homebuilt aircraft was landing at Kings Land O' Lakes Airport in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin, around noon Sunday when it crossed over an asphalt portion of the runway and went back into the air, then came down on its nose and flipped upside down.
The 42-year-old pilot and his 40-year-old passenger, both from Wadena, Minnesota, suffered minor scrapes and bumps in the crash, WSAW notes. They have not been identified.
The airport was closed Sunday, reports note. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating.
Land O' Lakes is located near the border of Wisconsin and Michigan, about 286 miles from Minneapolis.
A homebuilt aircraft (also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes) is constructed from scratch, from plans or from assembly kits. In the United States, these aircraft can be registered through the FAA.
Wisconsin is home to the Experimental Aircraft Association, a community of pilots and aviation enthusiasts that's based in Oshkosh. The organization is holding its annual AirVenture Oshkosh event from Monday through July 26.
A 2012 study by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that amateur-built aircraft account for a disproportionate number of accidents compared to certified planes, Flying Magazine reported. On average, there were 213 accidents and 55 fatalities annually involving homebuilt aircraft from 2001-2010.
