Sonex CEO Jeremy Monnett and a company mechanic were killed on Tuesday in the crash of an experimental Sonex Sport Acro at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where the company is based.
The two-seat single-engine taildragger crashed into a row of Oshkosh trucks near the east end of Runway 9 for undetermined reasons. Nobody on the ground was injured.
Monnett, 40, was the son of Sonex founder John Monnett. Mechanic Mike Clark was a relatively new employee who was reportedly along on the flight of the 2007-built airplane owned by the younger Monnett to become more familiar with it.
Sonex “will continue to operate despite the holes left by Jeremy and Mike’s absence,” the company said in a statement on social media. “It would unquestionably be Jeremy Monnett’s wish that the Sonex company and the worldwide community of Sonex and AeroConversions customers carry-on.”
Several members of the aviation community expressed their sadness in the wake of the crash. In a statement, John Monnett wrote, “On your eternal flight, take the passengers of love for family, compassion for community, and a passion for aviation. I will follow your course guided by the bright light you leave behind.”
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