Pilot Went Missing Tuesday Afternoon

Crews searching for a Maryland pilot who went missing Tuesday afternoon have narrowed their search to Franklin County, PA, based on calls to the missing pilot's cell phone.

David Weiss, 72, took off Tuesday right around lunchtime in his Cessna 172 from Maryland's Gaithersburg Airport, on what officials described as a routine proficiency flight. He was due to return to the airport at 2:30, but failed to show.

Authorities believe Weiss is flying alone. They also said Weiss landed briefly at Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland before he took off again en route to Gaithersburg.

A Civil Air Patrol spokesman told the Associated Press that unanswered calls to Weiss's cell phone are being routed through a cell phone tower in Saint Thomas, PA -- indicating he may have gone down near there.

Crews have focused their search on an area near the cell tower, to Franklin County Regional Airport in Chambersburg -- which lies about eight miles east. Authorities believe Weiss may have tried to land at the airport.

Weiss's aircraft is a blue-and-white 1970 Cessna 172L, registry N7604G.

FMI: www.cap.gov