Durham Regional Police and partner agencies continued an unfolding search Saturday for a 73-year-old pilot who departed Oshawa Airport on Friday morning in a small, home-built aircraft and did not return as scheduled.
What police have released
Police identified the pilot only as David; his last name has not been released. He is described as an experienced pilot, standing about five-foot-seven with a slim build, black/grey hair and a moustache. He left Oshawa Airport at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday in a single-seat, home-built airplane that officials describe as blue and yellow.
“(We are) working with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre who are assisting in the search for the missing male.”
The Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) said the pilot was expected to be back at about 9:30 a.m. but did not return. The last known location of the aircraft is believed to be in the vicinity of Balsam Lake. Police noted the pilot typically flies south of Kawartha Lakes township and north of Lake Scugog.
Agencies and how residents can help
DRPS said it is working with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on the search. Investigators are asking anyone with information about the pilot’s whereabouts or the aircraft to contact their local police service or DRPS’ Central West Division Criminal Investigations Branch.
- Contact DRPS Central West Division Criminal Investigations Branch: 1-888-579-1520, ext. 1805
- Or provide tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers
Local context and potential implications
Oshawa Airport serves a mix of private pilots, flight training and recreational aviation — activity that often sees single-seat and home-built aircraft taking local flights within the Kawartha Lakes and Durham Region corridor. An aircraft that fails to return raises immediate concerns for search-and-rescue resources as well as for families and the local aviation community.
The description released by police — a single-seat home-built plane, blue and yellow, with a tail marking reported as FOFZ by other outlets — gives search crews a focused profile to act on. But with the plane’s last known location listed as the Balsam Lake area, search efforts cover a wide swath of rural lake country north of Oshawa where shorelines, islands and forested shoreline can complicate visual searches.
Key timeline and locations
| Event | Time / Location |
|---|---|
| Departure from Oshawa Airport | 8:30 a.m., Friday |
| Expected return | 9:30 a.m., Friday |
| Last known location | Balsam Lake area |
For Oshawa residents, the incident is a reminder of the proximity of rural lake country to the city and the reliance on coordinated local and provincial search resources when aircraft incidents occur. Family members, friends and members of the local aviation community are likely to be closely following updates from police.
WE NEWS will continue to monitor the situation and update readers as official information becomes available from Durham Regional Police Service and partner agencies.
