Airplane Crash in Honey Creek Township - UPDATED

March 21, 2011

Special News Release

On March 20, 2011, at approximately 6:30 P. M. the Sauk County Communication Center received two phone calls of a loud crash in the Baraboo Bluffs, in the area of Orchard Road north of HWY C, Township of Honey Creek. The callers indicated that just prior to the call they had heard an aircraft in the area. In checking with Truax FAA Control Tower, Madison, WI the Sheriff’s Office learned that there had been a plane that had been on the radar but disappeared about the time of the reported crash.

Emergency crews from the Sauk City Fire Department and the Sauk Prairie EMS along with members of the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office were immediately dispatched to the area. Additionally the North Freedom Fire Department, Loganville Fire Department and the Baraboo Fire Department were called to assist in the search. The area being search was heavily forested with small pockets of fields. The terrain was hilly and rocky. Due to the heavy fog, the search was limited to the ground.

At approximately 10:25 P. M., members of the North Freedom Fire Department were finishing up checking an area of woods south of the intersection of Denzer Road and Ruff Road in the Township of Honey Creek and located the downed aircraft. The aircraft was a Cessna 150, with the tail numbers of N4178U. Two occupants were located in the aircraft and pronounced dead at the scene by the Sauk County Coroner. The occupants have been identified at Robert L. Eigner, age 58, and Elaine Eigner, age 55, of Hillsboro, WI. It has been learned that the aircraft was being flown from Lake of the Hills Airport in Crystal Lake, IL to Reedsburg, WI.

The investigation into the crash is continuing by the FAA and the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information concerning this crash is asked to call the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office at 608-356-4895.

Chief Deputy Kevin J. Fults