KIMBALL TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A small plane crashed Wednesday afternoon in Kimball Township, killing the pilot who was the only person onboard, according to the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office.
The plane was approaching the St. Clair County International Airport about 1:30 p.m. It missed the approach and the pilot radioed that it was coming back around to try a second time, but it was not heard from again.
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The plane crashed in a wooded area near Allen and Smith Creek roads.
The pilot -- identified as 52-year-old Lawrence L. Zavitz -- was from Watford, Ontario. He kept a plane at the airport in Kimball Township.
The Sheriff's Office said Zavitz was using the Instrument Landing System through Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The plane dropped off radar after he was advised he missed his approach.
A statement from the Sheriff's Office reads, in part:
"On board every plane, there is an Emergency Locator Transmitter. Members of the fire department retrieved a transmitter receiver from the airport and continued their search. About 5:30 this afternoon, fire department members began receiving a stronger signal coming from the plane. Shortly after, the plane was located in a field and wooded area behind a residence in the 500 block of Allen Road.
The pilot, who was the lone occupant of the plane was dead at the scene."