WNCC Mourns Loss of Two Aviation Students

WNCC Mourns Loss of Two Aviation Students
April 5th, 2021 | Media Release
On Thursday, April 1, WNCC Aviation students Yemin An, age 21 of Seoul, South Korea, and Zhaoxin Chen, age 24 of Xi’an, China, were tragically killed while working on an airplane engine inside the Aviation Maintenance facility in Sidney.

Both students were sophomores enrolled in Western Nebraska Community College’s Aviation Maintenance Technician program. 

“We are mourning the loss of two outstanding students, Yemin and Zhaoxin,” WNCC President Dr. Carmen Simone said. “This was a devastating accident and their families have our deepest and most sincere condolences.”

The Cheyenne County Coroner’s office disclosed the identities of the students earlier this afternoon. The families of Yemin and Zhaoxin have been notified with the assistance of the South Korean and Chinese embassies.

The Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are continuing their investigations and WNCC will continue to cooperate however possible. Further details are unavailable at this time. 

WNCC has organized a Crisis Response Team to work with students, instructors, and all others that have been affected by this tragedy. Counseling services are available for students and employees.
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