Search fails to locate low-flying aircraft

CFB Trenton says plane was spotted over lake

There was, in fact, a plane flying dangerously low over the Lake of Two Mountains on Thursday night, despite a costly all-out search for the aircraft that turned up nothing, police said Friday.

“Canadian Forces Base Trenton (in Trenton, Ont.) confirmed to us that they did locate a small plane flying low over the lake” about 6 p.m., Lake of Two Mountain police Constable Christopher Harding said.

The base has air-traffic control equipment, he explained.

Because there are fewer restrictions on small planes, the aircraft must have landed safely without any record.

Police were unable to find out more about the plane or its pilot, Harding said.

Search teams from three police departments, an ambulance and a helicopter from the Canadian Forces were dispatched to the area near Pointe Calumet, west of Montreal, after two calls from residents indicating an apparent plane crash.

One resident said he saw a plane flying dangerously low over the lake, Harding said.

Another resident reported a “ball of fire.”

Police never located the second caller, he added.

Once triggered, the search had to be concluded, he said.

The teams conducted a thorough search of the area and found no trace of the plane.

Police called local airports and there was no report of a missing aircraft.

It’s hard to say how much the fruitless search cost, Harding said.

“But it’s safe to say that if we do find the pilot, we will have a few questions for that person,” Harding added.

Small planes can legally fly low, but “probably not so low as to make people on the ground think that they are in trouble.”