Eric Felix, a 43-year-old skilled and beloved aircraft mechanic tragically passed away in a plane crash on November 26, 2025. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from Wittman Regional Airport during EAA AirVenture’s off-season testing period.
Eric, the sole occupant of the homebuilt RV-8, was pronounced dead at the scene despite rapid response from Oshkosh Fire Department and Flight For Life helicopter crews.
The National Transportation Safety Board and FAA are investigating the cause, with preliminary reports indicating the aircraft experienced difficulties shortly after becoming airborne from Runway 36.
Witnesses described the plane climbing briefly before entering a steep descent and impacting terrain near the airfield’s perimeter. The crash site was secured for several hours while investigators documented wreckage and flight data.
Eric grew up in the Oshkosh area, where the roar of engines during AirVenture week became the soundtrack of his childhood. From a young age he could be found at local airports, handing tools to mechanics and asking endless questions about airplanes. That passion led him to a respected career as an A&P mechanic, where his attention to detail and willingness to mentor younger techs made him a favorite in hangars across the Fox Valley.
Known for his easy laugh and “fix-it-first, ask-questions-later” approach, Eric restored vintage aircraft and helped countless EAA members keep their birds airworthy. He was the guy who stayed late to bleed brakes on a friend’s Cessna or drove through a snowstorm to get a stranded pilot back in the air. His toolbox was always open, and his coffee pot was always on.
Family was Eric’s anchor. He leaves behind parents, siblings, and a wide circle of friends who gathered every July on the flight line to watch the airshow together. His sudden absence has left the tight-knit Oshkosh aviation community stunned, with many saying the flight line will never feel quite the same without his familiar wave from the ramp.
Oshkosh has lost one of its own, a hardworking, big-hearted mechanic who lived for the sound of a Lycoming turning over and the sight of a perfectly rigged aileron. Eric Felix’s legacy will fly on in every airplane he touched and every friend he helped take to the skies. Funeral arrangements will be announced by local EAA chapters and family in the coming days. Blue skies, Eric.