A pilot reported missing after taking off from Oshawa Executive Airport last Friday morning and failing to return an hour later has been found dead following an “extensive” search, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) confirm.
The pilot was previously identified by family as 73-year-old David Douglas.
On Sunday, aircraft debris was recovered from Wolf Lake, which is roughly 66 kilometres northeast of Oshawa airport in Kawartha Lakes, Ont. It has since been determined that it is the plane belonging to the missing man.
Police said on Wednesday that the submerged aircraft was discovered along with the body of the pilot. They said they’d spend several days, working alongside partner agencies, to search the area near the village Kirkfield, Ont.
“The OPP extends its sincere condolences to the pilot’s family and loved ones and thanks the many members of the public who provided information, support and assistance throughout the search effort,” the OPP wrote in a news release.
Durham Regional Police had previously asked for the public’s help to locate Douglas and his blue-and-yellow single-engine home-built plane, which had “FOFZ” on the tail.
They sought assistance from “anyone in that corridor who saw or heard a low-flying light aircraft on Friday morning.”
Describing the pilot as “experienced,” investigators said he was last seen heading in a northbound direction.
The OPP, who worked with Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on the search, said he typically flew in the area south of Kawartha Lakes township and north of Lake Scugog; however, the last known location of the aircraft was believed to be around Balsam Lake.
Police said the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash, with the OPP’s help as needed.
With files from CTV News Barrie
