DOWAGIAC, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Authorities are asking for the public’s help locating a small homebuilt plane that has been missing since Sunday.
The 82-year-old pilot, Richard Martin, departed from Dowagiac in Cass County on Sunday morning for what should have been a routine, one-hour flight, leaving his phone behind in the hangar. Witnesses saw the plane heading north around 11 AM, shortly after takeoff.
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Martin’s family member waited several hours for him to return before contacting the police. The Dowagiac Police Department, Michigan State Police, FAA, Civil Air Patrol, and South Bend Air Traffic Control are still attempting to locate the pilot and his plane.
The aircraft is a Sonex-B kit plane with a tail number of N569SX and a polished aluminum exterior. It has no transponder or other locatable electronics aboard.
Anyone with information on the missing plane and pilot is asked to contact the Civil Air Patrol Incident Commander Lt. Col. Mike Saile at IC@MIWG.CAP.GOV. Investigators are expected to fully commence airborne search efforts by 2 PM today due to weather conditions.
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