Missing pilot found alive after crash

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MILTON, Fla. (WALA/WISH) - A missing pilot from Anderson, Indiana has been found alive in Alabama after his plane crashed in Florida Sunday night.

According to the FBI, pilot Marc Schrenker was found alive near Harpersville, Alabama after parachuting from his plane overnight.

Schrenker's 6 seater plane went down late Sunday night in a marshy area of East Milton. Schrenker had radioed in a distress call before losing communication with air traffic controllers. Military jets were called in to help. The pilots saw the plane as it went down.

The plane was a single engine, 6 seater Piper PA46. The crash was reported at 9:15 p.m.

The wreckage of the plane was found about 100 yards behind a residence on Lakeside Drive in East Milton. The plane crashed into a wooded, swampy area.

A search for Schrenker began immediately. Helicopters, other aircraft, boats, and dogs were all used in the Florida search, but results came up empty.

The plane was en route from Anderson, Indiana to Destin, Florida.

Schrenker radioed for help near Birmingham, Alabama. His distress call said his windshield had imploded and he had severe bleeding.

Air Traffic Controllers in Atlanta tried to radio the pilot to land at the Pell City Airport, but they could not get him to respond.

Military Jets from Whiting Field were launched to intercept the plane. The Jets caught up to the plane, but the pilots say the door to the plane was open and the cockpit was dark. They could not see Schrenker, nor could they reach him by radio. The Military stayed with the plane until it crashed one mile north of Peter Prince Airport in Milton.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are expected in Milton Monday to investigate.