Two Students Die in WNCC Aviation Accident

On Thursday, April 1, 2021, two Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) students were fatally injured while working on an airplane engine while inside the Aviation Maintenance Facility in Sidney, Nebraska.

The Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating. First responders included the Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Sidney Fire Department and Regional West Medical Center Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Autopsies were ordered. Those were completed this morning.

Officials are still waiting findings. Families of the deceased have been notified, through the assistance of the South Korean and Chinese embassies. The deceased are An, Yemin (21 years of age) of South Korea and Chen, Zhaoxin (24 years of age) of China. The Panhandle Public Health District has coordinated with WNCC to organize and deploy a Crisis Response Team to work with students, teachers and others affected. The manner of death appears to be accidental.