Wingwalker, Pilot Killed At Airshow

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Pilot Charlie Schwenker and wingwalker Jane Wicker were killed when they crashed while performing on Saturday. The duo was performing at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton. The rest of the show was cancelled but resumed on Sunday. Spectator videos (graphic and disturbing images) show Wicker hanging upside down from the lower wing of the Stearman at low altitude. As Schwenker attempts to roll inverted the aircraft banks sharply and cartwheels before exploding.

The two were killed instantly. Wicker, who worked as a budget analyst at the FAA, started wingwalking in 1990 and in interviews preceding Saturday’s show told reporters the performance was the result of hours of practice and fine tuning and she considered it “managed risk.” Schenker was an award-winning aerobatic pilot who taught the craft in Virginia.

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