A search is underway for a missing Oshawa pilot who failed to return after taking off from Oshawa Executive Airport on Friday morning.
Police and family representatives identify the pilot as 73-year-old David Douglas, who departed the Oshawa airport at approximately 8:32 a.m. on Aug. 14.
Douglas was flying alone in a light blue-and-yellow amateur-built, single-engine aircraft and was expected to return to Oshawa after a local flight.
He did not return as expected.
Missing Oshawa Pilot Last Traced Toward Balsam Lake
Police say Douglas regularly flies in the area south of Kawartha Lakes and north of Lake Scugog.
The aircraft’s last known location is believed to have been around Balsam Lake, and search efforts are covering a wider corridor that includes Lake Scugog, Balsam Lake, Sturgeon Lake and Cameron Lake.
Douglas is described as approximately five-foot-seven with a slim build, black-and-grey hair and a moustache.
The aircraft is described as light blue with yellow markings.
Public Asked to Check Cameras and Report Sightings
Members of the public who were in the search area Friday morning are being asked to consider whether they saw or heard a small aircraft flying unusually low.
Boaters, anglers, cottagers, marina operators and residents with trail cameras, security cameras or dashcams are also being asked to preserve any potentially relevant footage.
Anyone who finds the aircraft should not approach it, both for safety reasons and to avoid disturbing potential evidence needed by search crews.
The search involves authorities in both Durham Region and the Kawartha Lakes area.
As of the latest available update, the missing Oshawa pilot and aircraft had not been located.
