SANTA ROSA COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Wendell Hall

UPDATE: Plane Crashes In East Milton

The Sheriff's Office is still currently on scene maintaining security at the site of the plane crash that occurred in East Milton last night. As stated in the previous release, the pilot was not present at the crash site. The current investigation has revealed that the pilot, identified as Marcus Schrenker, 38 years old, from Indiana , appears to have intentionally abandoned the plane after putting it on auto pilot over the Birmingham , Alabama area and parachuting to the ground. Officials initially were told that the pilot had an in flight emergency and that the windshield imploded on the plane. The pilot stated that he was bleeding profusely. Radio contact with the plane was not able to be established after that point. When deputies located the plane at the crash site, no blood was present and the door to the plane was open. Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office officials received a call on 1/12/09 at 2:26 am from the Childersburg Police Department, in Alabama . Their officers told the Sheriff's Office that a white male subject came up to one of their officers at a store in Childersburg and said that he had been in a canoeing accident with some friends. The subject was only wet from the knees down and had no other injuries. The subject was identified by the officer as Schrenker by means of an Indiana Drivers License. Schrenker also had some goggles that looked like they were made for "flying". The officers in that jurisdiction were unaware of the plane crash incident at that time and took the subject to a nearby hotel in Harpersville , Alabama . Later after hearing about the airplane crash incident, Childersburg Police Department contacted our agency. Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office deputies confirmed that the subject that was transported to the hotel had the same name as that of the pilot that was involved in the airplane crash in our county. Childersburg Police Department was advised of this and they went back to the hotel where Schrenker was dropped off. Schrenker checked into the hotel under a fictitious name. When authorities entered Schrenker's room he was not there. After Schrenker paid for his room with cash, he put on a black toboggan cap and ran into the woods located next to the hotel. Authorities in that jurisdiction are continuing to look for Schrenker. Numerous local, state, and federal agencies are currently assisting in Alabama , Indiana , and Florida in an effort to locate Schrenker. The FAA and the NTSB has just arrived to the crash site to begin their investigation into the crash.

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On 1/11/09 at approximately 2115 hours, Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office Deputies were dispatched to the area of Lakeside Drive and Lakeside Court in reference to the report of a plane crash. The call originated after the pilot contacted the FAA Atlanta Center declaring an in-flight emergency. The plane (a 6 seater Piper PA-46 Turbo Prop) originated from Anderson Municipality Airport (AID) in Indiana and was heading to Destin , Florida . When the plane was approximately 35 miles southwest of Birmingham , Alabama , the pilot stated that the windshield of the aircraft had imploded and he was bleeding severely. Atlanta Center officials were attempting to divert the pilot to the Pell City Alabama Airport and the pilot was not responding. The plane appeared to be put into autopilot at an altitude of approximately 2000 feet. Military jet aircraft were launched in an effort to intercept the plane. The plane was spotted by the military jets approximately 12 miles north of NAS Whiting Field in Santa Rosa County . The military jets deployed flares to illuminate the plane as it was flying and noticed that the door to the aircraft was open and the cockpit was dark. The jets continued to follow the plane and maintained visual contact until it crashed in a swampy wooded area near the area of Blackwater River off of Lakeside Drive . Numerous law enforcement and emergency agencies responded to the area and were able to locate the wreckage of the plane. The immediate and surrounding areas were searched in an effort to locate the pilot utilizing helicopters, planes, boats and dogs. The pilot was not located. His identity is not being released at this time. The FAA and the NTSB will be arriving tomorrow to assist in the investigation. Although search efforts have been concluded for the evening, Sheriff's Office personnel are remaining at the scene in boats and on land to maintain security of the crash scene. No further information is known at this time. Further information will be released as it becomes available.

Responding Agencies:

East Milton Fire , City of Milton Fire , Skyline Fire , Bagdad Fire , Santa Rosa Sheriff Office , Coast Guard , FWC , Lifeguard Ambulance Service , Highway Patrol

Press Release By:

Sgt. Scott Haines

Media Relations Unit

(850) 981-2136 or shaines@srso.net