TORONTO - A 54-year-old pilot is dead after his ultralight plane crashed north of Toronto on Saturday.

John Townsend of King City, about 16 kilometres southwest of Newmarket, was the only person in the plane.

The plane had taken off early Saturday morning on a pleasure flight from Volks Aerodrome in Tottenham.

Rescue crews began searching after the pilot didn't return as expected.

A police helicopter spotted the wreckage of the small plane shortly before 8 p.m.

Transport Canada will conduct an investigation into the crash.