Missing 82-Year-Old Pilot and His Homemade Plane Found Crashed

Clear Facts:

• Missing small plane found crashed in a wooded area in Southwest Michigan.
• The pilot, 83-year-old Richard Martin, unfortunately, didn’t survive.
• Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.

The search for a small plane that vanished last weekend in Southwest Michigan has come to a tragic conclusion. Authorities found the aircraft crashed in a wooded region on M-51 North near Elm Street, which is about two miles north of Dowagiac.

Sadly, the pilot of the plane, 83-year-old Richard Martin, didn’t survive the crash. He was the only person on board. The plane in question was a silver Sonex Airplane with the Tail Number N569SX. The alarm bells rang when the plane didn’t return to Dowagiac as expected around 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Here’s a bit of background: Richard Martin wasn’t new to the skies. He had a routine, taking his plane out for one to two-hour flights on Sunday mornings. That particular Sunday, he took off around 11 a.m. A family member, expecting his return, got worried when Richard didn’t show up.

A comprehensive search operation was launched, with involvement from multiple agencies: 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 even members of the community.

Their collective effort continued until the MPS’s Aviation Unit pinpointed the plane’s location on Thursday, Sept. 14, shortly before 4 p.m.

While the Dowagiac Police Department confirmed the location and identified Richard, the exact cause of the crash remains a mystery. Investigations are ongoing.

If anyone out there has more details or information about this incident, they’re urged to reach out to the Dowagiac Police Department at (269)-782-9743.

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