Search continues for missing OKC pilot
Anesthesiologist was traveling to Texas on a dog rescue mission
Authorities continued to search Thursday evening for an airplane, piloted by a prominent Oklahoma City anesthesiologist, that disappeared Wednesday over the Gulf of Mexico.
The pilot, identified as Dr. John William “Bill” Kinsinger, departed Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City on Wednesday evening, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Magee, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman.
The airplane was detected by radar over the Gulf of Mexico and Kinsinger did not respond to radio communication, the Coast Guard reported.
Kinsinger, 55, may have lost consciousness due to lack of oxygen at high altitude, according to the Coast Guard. Kinsinger was the only one in the airplane, Magee reported.
Authorities say the Cirrus SR-22 aircraft, capable of carrying five people, was detected on radar Wednesday flying south over the Gulf of Mexico.
Fighter aircraft under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command were scrambled about 3 p.m. from Ellington Field, Texas, after the aircraft did not respond to FAA emergency radio contact attempts.
Two F-16 pilots tried to establish communications with the Cirrus SR-22, but were unsuccessful, according to NORAD. Those aircraft were later relieved by two fighters from New Orleans.
Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans reported that Kinsinger was slouched over and appeared unconscious.
NORAD coordinated with the FAA and Mexican authorities to continue tracking and monitoring the aircraft until visibility was lost.
The Coast Guard is searching off the southeast Texas coast, 135 miles north of the Yucatan Peninsula. The small plane that left from Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City was reportedly on a flight to Georgetown, Texas, about 30 miles north of Austin.
Coast Guard aircrews were scheduled to continue searching through the night. The plane is registered to Edmondbased Abide Aviation.
Kinsinger is a wellregarded obstetric anesthesiologist who has been involved in about 20,000 deliveries during the past 25 years.
Integris spokeswoman Brooke Cayot said Kinsinger is an employee of Northwest Anesthesia PC and serves as medical director of obstetric anesthesia at Integris Baptist Medical Center.
A fierce advocate for patient safety, Kinsinger was appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin to the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision in 2011. He also served as president of the board.
“He was very down to earth and easy to approach, and had a good outlook on life,” said Lyle Kelsey, executive director of the Medical Board. “I think his anesthesiology background makes him a great resource to the board, for a lot of the current things going on with the opiate overdoses and abuse.”
Kinsinger also formerly served as president of the Oklahoma Society of Anesthesiologists.
“I worked very close with him professionally, learning all I need to know about anesthesiology,” said Pam Dunlap, executive director of the professional group. “From working with him over all the years, we became very good friends and spent a lot of time together working on legislative issues. He was a very dedicated individual. Whatever his passion was, he was very passionate about it, whether it was patient safety, or more recently he was so involved in pet rescue.”
The news about Kinsinger’s missing aircraft spread throughout the animal rescue community across the country, with various groups issuing social media posts about the incident.
A group involved in rescuing an 11-year-old husky named Masaru in Edinburg, Texas, said on Facebook that Kinsinger was scheduled to pick up the dog and bring him to Oklahoma City.
“Masaru was not on the plane and is safe with his foster in Texas,” the group said. “This news has devastated all of us. But for Masaru’s sake, we’re doing our best to stay strong.”
Friends of Kinsinger described him as a strong and intelligent man with tremendous energy and great focus on the issues he cared about.
“He was incredibly interested in making things better, not making himself richer, but making things better,” said Jennifer Eve, a former Oklahoma City news anchor. “I want to honor the memory of a friend who was a very unique human being.”
Kinsinger is an avid hunter who attends St. Eugene Catholic Church in The Village, according to friends.
Tom Goldsworthy is a deacon at the church who has known Kinsinger for about 20 years. They recently enjoyed breakfast together, with Kinsinger inviting Goldsworthy to join him on an animal rescue mission.
Goldsworthy read about a missing pilot from Oklahoma City before receiving confirmation that it was his friend.
“In the pit of my heart, I knew it was Bill,” he said. “I got a call this morning. He was a wonderful person who would do anything for you.”