Plane From Chicago Area Crashes In Wisconsin; 2 Dead
UPDATED 03/21/11 12:03 p.m.
BARABOO, Wis. (CBS) -- A man and woman are dead, after a plane that took off from a public airport in Lake in the Hills ended up crashing in south central Wisconsin over the weekend.
Around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, neighbors heard a loud crash in the Baraboo Bluffs, in Honey Creek Township about 15 miles southwest of Baraboo, Wis., according to the Sauk County, Wis., Sheriff's Office.
The callers said they had previously heard an aircraft in the area, and police later found out from air traffic controllers in Madison that a plane had appeared on their radar, but had disappeared around the time of the crash, according to the sheriff's office.
The Cessna 150 left from the airport in the McHenry County village of Lake of the Hills earlier in the day. Its destination was not known, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said.
Emergency crews spent Sunday evening looking for the aircraft in the heavily-forested, rocky area. They were hampered by foggy conditions, and didn't find the wreckage until around 10:25 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.
The plane, which had tail numbers of N4178U, went down in a wooded area in Honey Creek Township, near Denzer and Ruff roads, according to the sheriff's office.
The man and woman inside the aircraft were identified as Robert Eigner, 58, and Elaine Eigner, 55, of Hillsboro, Wis., according to the Sauk County Coroner's office. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The plane was headed to Reedsburg, Wis., according to the sheriff's office.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
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