On July 20th, 2018 at approximately 1600 local time a de Havilland DH112 Venomjet aircraft crashed just after takeoff from Sheboygan County Memorial Airport (KSBM) in Sheboygan Falls
Sheboygan authorities confirm a pilot is dead after his plane crashed into a farm near Sheboygan Falls.
Two farm workers were hurt, animals were destroyed, and more than a dozen fire departments were called in.
Sheboygan Falls Fire Chief Bob Kroeplien described, “I looked, and I could see this big mushroom cloud of dark smoke and whatnot. I could see the flames from over a mile away.”
Two employees of the farm were transported to hospitals. One of them was airlifted by helicopter with critical injuries. The other was taken by ambulance.
Authorities said the pilot died on impact. The body has not been removed from the plane yet. Firefighters are still cleaning up fuel.
An unknown number of animals were destroyed. Employees say 40 to 50 were in the buildings. Some died from the crash, others had to be euthanized.
Fourteen fire departments were called: Ada, Cascade, Cedar Grove, Greenbush, Haven, Howards Grove, Johnsonville, Kohler, Oostburg, Plymouth, City of Sheboygan Falls, Town of Sheboygan Falls, Waldo and Wilson.
The Sheboygan Falls and Kohler police departments, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Wisconsin DNR also responded.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, which is routine. Authorities said NTSB investigators may not get on the scene until late Friday night or Saturday morning but expressed hoped the investigators might come sooner having an international air show AirVenture starting soon in nearby Oshkosh.
The de Havilland Venom is a British single-engine, two-seat jet. The fighter-bomber was developed in 1949 and retired in 1962. WarbirdAlley.com says 835 were built and at least 10 were still airworthy as of 2016.
