Osakis man dies in plane crash

A 70-year-old Osakis man was killed when his single-seat ultralight aircraft crashed near the Sauk Centre Airport Monday night.

The victim, who was the lone occupant in the plane, has been identified as Richard Alan Eidem.

Eidem took off from the airport at about 8 p.m. and was flying in a southeast direction when something went wrong, according to the Stearns County Sheriff’s office.

Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft flying low as it neared the Lynx National Golf Course, which is about a mile from the airport.

The propeller-driven aircraft, an Aerolite 103, crashed on the golf course. Eidem was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other people were injured.

The cause of the crash is under investigation and deputies are working with members of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Sauk Centre police, ambulance and fire departments.

Less than a half hour before the crash near Sauk Centre, another ultralight aircraft pilot was killed in a crash near Pequot Lakes. He was identified as Daniel Steven Chisholm of Ideal Township.

Tags: airplane, crash, osakis, flying, pilot, aerolite, 103