Pilot Dies On Way Home From Oshkosh

A 28-year old Kentucky man returning home from AirVenture 2004 in Oshkosh (WI) was killed Sunday when his Lancair Legacy crashed into a car dealership in Madison.

The Madison Capitol Times reports Shannon Knoepflein was headed to Lebanon (KY) when the Legacy (file photo of aircraft involved, above) sheered off the top of a street lamp and crashed in a ball of fire just outside Capitol Ford.

Dane County Coroner John Stanley said Knoepflein had radioed the tower at Dane County Regional to say he had engine trouble.

"They activated emergency plans, but he didn't make it," Stanley said.

Knoepflein had submitted his work on the Legacy to the EAA's web site after the aircraft was completed in April, 2002.

"I'm from Missouri, and my wife is from Chicago, so we use the plane to travel back and forth from our home in Lebanon, KY to see our family and friends," he wrote on the Web site. "In the 10 months I've been flying, I have accumulated over 170 hours. That's over 40,000 (nautical miles) of pure fun!!!!"

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 98SN    Make/Model: EXP    Description: LANCAIR LEGACY
 Date: 08/01/2004   Time: 2350

 Event Type: Accident  Highest Injury: Fatal   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
 City: MADISON           State: WI  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND WAS DESTROYED, THE ONE PERSON ON BOARD WAS FATALLY INJURED, 2 MILES EAST OF MADISON, WI

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  1
         # Crew:  1  Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Pass:   0  Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:       Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 

WEATHER: 012350Z22005KT10SM CLR 28/19 A2996                    
                                          
OTHER DATA
 Activity: Pleasure   Phase: Unknown   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: UNK             Dep Date:  Dep. Time:  
 Destination: UNK           Flt Plan: UNK     Wx Briefing: U
 Last Radio Cont: 2 MILES EAST
 Last Clearance: CLRD TO RUNWAY 32

 FAA FSDO: MILWAUKEE, WI (GL13)         Entry date: 08/02/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov