Police and federal rescuers are conducting coordinated searches after a 73-year-old man identified only as David failed to return from a morning flight that left Oshawa Airport on Friday.
Flight vanished in cottage-country corridor
The Durham Regional Police Service says the pilot departed Oshawa at about 8:30 a.m. and was expected back by roughly 9:30 a.m.. The aircraft — described by police as a home-built, blue-and-yellow plane — was last believed to be near Balsam Lake, in the Kawartha Lakes area north of Lake Scugog.
Investigators are working with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in the search. The OPP said the plane carries the letters "FOFZ" on the tail.
Who is being looked for and where
Police released only the pilot's first name, David, and said he is an experienced flyer who commonly operates in the corridor between the southern edge of Kawartha Lakes and Lake Scugog.
The location described places the search in a mix of cottage country, recreational lakes and forested terrain — an area that can pose navigation and survival challenges for small aircraft and lone aviators.
Timeline
| Event | Time (local) |
|---|---|
| Departure from Oshawa Airport | 8:30 a.m. |
| Expected return | 9:30 a.m. |
| Last known area | Balsam Lake (Kawartha Lakes region) |
What authorities are asking of the public
Durham police are appealing to anyone with information about the flight, or who may have observed a small blue-and-yellow plane in the area on Friday morning, to come forward. Authorities also encourage residents with waterfront or rural property in the Kawartha Lakes corridor to check cameras and otherwise look for signs that might aid search teams.
- Search agencies involved: Durham Regional Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Trenton Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
- Aircraft description: home-built, blue and yellow, tail letters FOFZ.
- Last known area: vicinity of Balsam Lake.
Local impact and context
The Kawartha Lakes and nearby Lake Scugog are popular recreational zones with many cottages, marinas and seasonal residents. That mix of shoreline access and boathouses can help searches if residents are vigilant, but the same landscape complicates aerial and ground sweeps, particularly if the aircraft is down in dense bush or over water.
Home-built aircraft are not unusual among private aviators. They vary in size and equipage and often operate from smaller municipal airports such as Oshawa. When a small, privately constructed plane is involved in a disappearance, search teams must factor in limited transponder information and navigation aids compared with commercial aircraft.
How residents can help
If you were in the Kawartha Lakes, Balsam Lake or Lake Scugog area on Friday morning and saw an aircraft matching the description, or if you have security footage or trail-cam images, contact Durham Regional Police. Any detail, however small, may narrow the search area.
Police have not released a last name or additional personal details. News outlets and emergency services are monitoring the situation, and updates will be provided as authorities release more information.
This story will be followed closely given the cross-jurisdictional coordination and the time-sensitive nature of search-and-rescue operations in rural Ontario.
— Reporting from the Durham and Kawartha Lakes corridor.
