Pilot who wowed locals last year, killed in Georgia plane crash

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By Dave Taylor

An aerobatic pilot who caused a buzz at the Hancock County Airport last year was killed in a plane crash Saturday in Georgia.
Mark Nowosielski, part of the Twin Tigers Aerobatic Team, was killed when the Mustang II plane he had recently bought suffered apparent engine trouble while on a test flight. Also killed in the crash was Nathan Sorenson, the son of Nowosielski’s teammate Mark Sorenson.
Just last July the Twin Tigers were in Hancock County, making a stop at the airport and putting on a show for those who happened to be around before heading to an air show in OshKosh where they performed aerial stunts.
“They were the number one flying team award winners last year in 2019,” said Mike Cook, who was at the airport last year when they arrived.
“There were several of us down here that day and all of the sudden, whoom,” he said.
Several planes on the way to the show stopped to fuel up, but the Twin Tigers made an impression.
“They flew up from Atlanta and this is the halfway point between down there and Oshkosh,” Cook said. “They stopped here, took a big long rest, went in there and took a nap, fueled their planes up, did a photo op for a bunch of people that was here.”
When it came time to leave for Oshkosh, the Tigers left in style, doing barrel rolls and leaving smoke trails.
“(They) said hey, we’re going to give you all a little air show,” he said. “We couldn’t get the information out quick enough but they left and did a little private air show over KY 8.”
“They said they were going to be back this year on their way to Oshkosh and they were going to stop here again,” he said. “I guess it won’t happen now.”