Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

DOWAGIAC — A missing man who was last seen last week piloting a plane has been found dead, according to Civil Air Patrol.

Richard Martin, 82, was found dead along with his crashed plane Thursday afternoon. The crashed plane was located by Michigan State Police helicopters approximately two miles north of Dowagiac.

At approximately 8:13 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, Dowagiac Police were dispatched to the Dowagiac Municipal Airport for a missing pilot, Martin. and his Sonex Plane; Tail Number N569SX. 

The Dowagiac Municipal Airport Manager reported to officers Martin regularly flies his plane for approximately one to two hours on Sunday mornings. Martin reportedly took off from the Dowagiac Municipal Airport at around 11 a.m. on Sunday. A family member of Martin’s waited for Martin to return, however, after several hours Martin had not returned.

The Dowagiac Police Department, Michigan State Police, Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Air Patrol and South Bend Air Traffic Control and hundreds of volunteers assisted in the location of Martin and his Sonex Plane.