06/25/2010 // West Palm Beach, FL, USA // Sandra Quinlan // Sandra Quinlan

Fort Lupton, CO—An elderly pilot suffered fatal injuries when his experimental plane went down on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. The pilot was reportedly performing acrobatic maneuvers when the kit aircraft crashed in Weld County, according to information provided by the Greeley Tribune.

Eyewitnesses alleged 86-year-old Jonathan Wenzel of Brighton was piloting a home-built aircraft when the plane’s wings collapsed, sending the homebuilt aircraft careening into the ground.

The kit plane crashed in a pasture at approximately 12 p.m. The crash scene is located near the junction of Weld County roads 31 and 20, approximately four miles northeast of Fort Lupton.

“It was making a terrible noise just before the wings folded… Then it just went spiraling into the ground,” said nearby resident Miles Nichols.

While two cowboys rushed to the scene after the accident to aid any survivors, Wenzel was killed on impact. They had been watching the pilot perform airborne stunts prior to the deadly wreck.

Deputies from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, along with Platteville firefighters and paramedics, were forced to drive through the pasture to reach the accident scene.

The Chief Weld County Coroner’s Investigator Mark Ward reported an autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials were on site Wednesday and are expected to conduct a full probe into the experimental plane wreck.

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Colorado Aviation Accident Lawyers.

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