Missing pilot found dead in submerged home-built plane in Ontario lake: OPP
Written by The Canadian Press on August 19, 2026
Ontario Provincial Police say a 73-year-old pilot who failed to return to Oshawa, Ont., from a flight in a home-built plane last week was found dead.
Police say the pilot’s remains were found after extensive search efforts in the city of Kawartha Lakes.
A large search operation was launched on Friday after the plane departed from the Oshawa Executive Airport at 8:30 a.m. and failed to return that same morning at 9:30 a.m.
Police say aircraft debris was recovered on Monday from Wolfe Lake in Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park in the Kawartha Lakes region.
They say searchers on Tuesday located the aircraft submerged in Wolfe Lake and confirmed the pilot was dead.
Police say investigators are co-ordinating an extraction plan for the plane.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it’s deploying a team of investigators near Minden Hills, Ont., to investigate an accident involving a privately registered a small plane.
Durham regional police identified the missing man, David, by first name only and said he is an experienced pilot who usually flies in the area south of the municipality of Kawartha Lakes and north of Lake Scugog.
Police have described the plane as a home-built, blue and yellow aircraft with the letters “FOFZ” on the tail.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2026.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press