Second Pilot Able To Land Safely
ANN REALTIME UPDATE
06.18.06 2020 EDT: The pilot lost in Sunday morning's accident near
Illinois Valley Regional Airport has been identified as 55-year-old
Christopher Good from Wisconsin.
Peoria's WHOI-19 reports Good's plane was one of four heading to
an air show at the field when his aircraft apparently contacted
another plane while on approach to land. The stricken airplane fell
into a nearby field.
"We're part of a closed community of aviators, and when we lose
any pilot, it is a real tragedy to all of us,” said J.
Michael Maloney, president of American Air Shows.
According to the Illinois Valley Air Show website, Good was part
of the RV "Blackhawk" Squadron flying to the show to display their
aircraft. A British ex-pat, Good moved to Wisconsin in 1994 and
became a US citizen. He later spent three years building an RV-6A
(file photo of type, below) -- presumably, the accident aircraft --
with its first flight in June 2000, just over six years ago.
After learning to fly in England -- but then giving it up for 15
years -- Good restarted his flying career in 1996, eventually
earning an instrument-rating and building 1500 total hours of
flight time, 1100 of which in his plane.
Good became an EAA Technical Counselor in 2004.
ORIGINAL REPORT
Two experimental aircraft collided while on approach to land at
Illinois Valley Regional Airport early Sunday, causing one of the
planes to crash. Authorities said the pilot of the accident
aircraft was killed.
Officials with the FAA and area police told the Associated Press
they believed the planes had been practicing for the Illinois
Valley Air Show, scheduled for later in the day at the Peru, IL
airport.
That information was disputed, however, by American Air Shows
president J. Michael Maloney, who said the pilots were flying to
the show to display their planes, and weren't part of the
scheduled entertainment.
The pilot of the second aircraft involved in the midair
collision was able to land his plane, and declined medical
treatment, said Jamie Bradish with the Peru Police Department.
Information on the names of the pilots and the type(s) of
aircraft involved were not immediately available. The planes were
part of a group flying to the show from nearby Poplar Grove, said
Maloney.
This is the second year the Illinois Valley Air Show has been
held in Peru, a Chicago suburb about 90 miles southwest of the
city. The show went on as planned, although it got underway about
two hours late.