Jane Wicker, a mother of two sons, was atop the biplane at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton, Ohio, when it plunged to the ground. The pilot, Charlie Schwenker, also perished in the crash after steering the plane away horrified onlookers.
‘Had he drifted more, I don’t know what would have happened,’ said Ian Hoyt, an aviation photographer and licensed pilot from Findlay who was at the airshow with his girlfriend.
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Turn: One wiitness said the pilot, Charlie Schwenker, steered the plane away from onlookers before the crash
Wreckage: The bi-plane hit the ground and burst into flames, instantly killing the pilot and performer
Hoyt said he was taking photos as the plane passed by and had just raised his camera to take another shot.
‘Then I realized they were too low and too slow. And before I knew it, they hit the ground,’ he said.
Hoyt said he couldn’t tell exactly what happened, but it appeared that the plane stalled and didn’t have enough air speed, he said. He credited the pilot for steering clear of spectators and potentially saving lives.
