An 86-year-old pilot was reported killed Wednesday when his small plane crashed while performing acrobatic manuevers in Weld County.
The crash, northeast of Fort Lupton, happened about noon, said Undersheriff Margie Martinez of the Weld County Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses told investigators that the experimental aircraft’s wings collapsed and the plane spiraled to the ground, Martinez said.
The aircraft — an Airborne, Windsport Edge with a two-cycle engine — is a kit plane manufactured in 2000 and certified for flight in 2008. Federal Aviation Administration records for the aircraft indicate the registered owner is Jonathon Wenzel, 86, from Brighton.
The Greeley Tribune reported that Wenzel was the pilot in the crash.
The crash site is in grassland about 1.5 miles east of the intersection of Weld County Roads 20 and 31, Martinez said.
The site is about 2 miles from the Platte Valley Airpark.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
Denver Post Staff Writer Yesenia Robles contributed to this report.
