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Damage at Fly-By Acres after deadly plane crash
Damage at Fly-By Acres after deadly plane crash
SHEBOYGAN FALLS -- The owners of "Fly-By Acres LLC" on Monday, July 23 released a statement after a plane crash Friday, July 20 that took the life of the pilot of the plane and severely injured two of their employees. The crash destroyed one building at the farm and damaged three others. Additionally, animals were killed and others were injured.
Martin Tibbitts, 50, of Grosse Point, Michigan had just taken off from the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport when he went down and hit a "Fly-By Acres LLC" farm building on Friday.
Martin Tibbitts
It happened just hours into the Aviation Heritage Center of Wisconsin's 11th annual Air Clinic. Tibbitts encountered trouble in the air soon after takeoff, and his vintage, single-engine, military-style plane went down just a half-mile from the airport. He was killed on impact.
Two "Fly-By Acres LLC" workers who were feeding cattle or calves in the building where the plane came through were hit and hurt.
Several nearby buildings caught fire, producing a black cloud of smoke visible for miles. FOX6's Aaron Maybin, who was on scene Monday, said he could still smell the fuel after the plane clipped a cornfield, barreled through a barn and came to a fiery halt near some farming equipment.
"(Sunday) was the first time we could come to this part without being escorted by police," said Rachel Kroeplien.
Rachel Kroeplien's family owns the farm where she grew up. She said surveying the twisted metal has been surreal.
"From one shock to the next to the next. When you look at the destruction, we have no idea how (the injured employees) survived," said Kroeplien.
Bob Kroeplien, the Sheboygan Falls fire chief, responded to the tragedy.
"The fuel was spilled all over. It's where I grew up. I was born and raised on that farm," said Bob Kroeplien.
Below is the complete statement issued Monday by "Fly-By Acres LLC:"
FOX6 News got a look at the devastation on Monday. Below are some photos showing the damage at "Fly-By Acres LLC."
"We're still trying to work through our everyday chores on top of having to deal with all of this as well," said Rachel Kroeplien.
PHOTO GALLERY
"Fly-By Acres LLC" is owned and operated by the Kroeplien family. It is a 500-cow dairy farm in Sheboygan Falls, where the cows are milked three times a day, and approximately 1,000 acres of land is worked. Corn, soybeans, alfalfa and winter wheat is grown at the farm. The family says if the plane would've hit the main barn, the farm would be devastated.
The NTSB is investigating the plane crash, with help from the FAA. A preliminary report from the NTSB could be released this week.
Meanwhile, Martin Tibbitts' brother, JC, shared the following statement shortly after the crash: