MONTELLO – A pilot flying to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture was not injured Sunday after a small plane crashed in a marshy area of Marquette County, authorities said.
The Marquette County Sheriff’s Office said its dispatch center received a 911 call from the pilot of a small aircraft about 3:07 p.m. July 19. The pilot reported mechanical problems and said the aircraft was going down.
Small plane crashes near Fox River west of Lake Puckaway
The aircraft crashed in a marshy area along the south shore of the Fox River, west of Lake Puckaway, in the town of Montello, according to the sheriff’s office.
The crash site is roughly 45 miles southwest of the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh grounds at Wittman Regional Airport.
The plane was a single-propeller, two-seat aircraft. The pilot was the only person aboard and was not injured, the sheriff’s office said.
The pilot had departed earlier in the day from Erie, Colorado, and was traveling to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture, authorities said.
FAA and NTSB investigating Marquette County aircraft crash
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Responding agencies included the Marquette Fire Department, Montello Fire Department, Marquette County EMS, Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Marquette County Sheriff’s Office.
No additional information was available Sunday, the sheriff’s office said.
What to know about EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in convention, runs July 20-26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The event is billed as “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and annually draws more than 600,000 people and 10,000 aircraft to Oshkosh and other east-central Wisconsin airports.
The 2026 convention is the 73rd edition of AirVenture. In 2025, the event set a record with about 704,000 attendees from 94 nations, according to EAA.
AirVenture features daily air shows, aircraft displays, forums, workshops, exhibits, family activities and evening programs. Night air shows are scheduled for Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Daily adult admission for 2026 is $53 for EAA members and $74 for non-members. Adult weekly passes are $169 for members. Youth ages 18 and younger are admitted free. Sunday-only tickets are $26 for members and $32 for non-members.
The event grounds are at Wittman Regional Airport and the EAA AirVenture Grounds, 3000 Poberezny Road, Oshkosh. Learn more at https://www.eaa.org/airventure.
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Colorado pilot unhurt after plane crashes on way to AirVenture Oshkosh
Reporting by Brandon Reid, Oshkosh Northwestern / Oshkosh Northwestern
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brandon Reid, Oshkosh Northwestern | USA TODAY Network
