VAN BUREN COUNTY (WWJ) - It is a tragic end in the search for a small plane that went missing last weekend after crews said they discovered the aircraft crashed in a wooded area in Southwest Michigan on Thursday.
According to Civil Air Patrol, the body of the plane's pilot and only occupant, 83-year-old Richard Martin, was found dead in the wreckage on M-51 North near Elm Street, roughly two miles north of Dowagiac.
The small aircraft, a silver Sonex Airplane with Tail Number N569SX, was first reported missing around 8:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, when it failed to return in Dowagiac, officials said.
The Dowagiac Municipal Airport manager told police that Martin regularly flew his plane for one to two hours on Sunday mornings. Martin reportedly took off from the airport at around 11 a.m.
A family member, who was waiting for Martin at the airport, grew concerned when he didn't come back.
Officials and volunteers from the Dowagiac Fire Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence Township Fire Department, Michigan State Police, Civilian Air Patrol, Dowagiac Municipal Airport, Federal Aviation Administration, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and the community members from across the state searched for several days before MPS's Aviation Unit spotted the plane on Thursday, Sept. 14, just before 4 p.m.
The Dowagiac Police Department said they were notified of the plane's location and responded to the scene where they found and identified the deceased pilot.
Police said the cause of the crash remains unclear at this time, but authorities are continuing to investigate.
Anyone who may have additional information about this incident that could help investigators has been asked to call the Dowagiac Police Department at (269)-782-9743.