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David Stortz Missing Person Case

Last seen in Rockland, Maine on Aug 29, 2000

Victim Details

Nov 7, 2018

Oct 12, 2023

David

Stortz

67

41

71 inches

170 lbs

175 lbs

White / Caucasian

Male

Aug 29, 2000

Rockland

Maine

Knox County

41711

Maine Marine Patrol - Augusta Headquarters

Augusta

Maine

Kennebec County

04333

21 State House Station, Maine

2076339595

State

Law Enforcement

00-0829

Aug 29, 2000

Maine Marine Patrol - Augusta Headquarters

10452

Brown

Brown

Brown

Oct 11, 2026


Area Last Seen:

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP53325) and 2 other sources
Henry Chandler Horner was 69 years old when he became one of the people at the center of a tragic aviation-related missing person case connected to the waters off Kennebunkport, Maine. Public missing-person listings identify him as a White/Caucasian male, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing approximately 160 to 180 pounds, with white hair and blue eyes. He was last seen on August 18, 2000, in connection with Kennebunkport, Maine, after boarding a small flight that had departed Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was headed toward Nova Scotia. NamUs lists the case as Missing Person / NamUs #MP53597, and public summaries tied to the case describe Henry as a passenger on a small chartered flight that never completed its trip.

The flight involved a Piper PA-32R-301, registration N411JL, operating from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, toward Liverpool, Nova Scotia. According to the National Transportation Safety Board accident record, the aircraft was in cruise flight at about 9,000 feet over the ocean when a loud bang came from the engine compartment and oil covered the windshield. The pilot reported that the engine produced only partial power before the engine and propeller stopped, leaving no safe landing area except the water below. The airplane was then ditched in the Atlantic Ocean near Kennebunkport during daylight conditions. The NTSB later found that the accident involved the fracture of the number 4 connecting rod for undetermined reasons, resulting in a loss of engine power, with the forced ocean ditching listed as a factor.

News coverage published the next day reported that the small plane carried five people and crashed into the ocean off the Maine coast. Three people survived with injuries: two passengers were treated at the Kennebunkport fire station, and a third person was transported by Coast Guard helicopter to a hospital. The same report said that two people were missing after the crash and that the survivors were picked up by a sailboat in the area. The crash was described as occurring roughly three miles southeast of Kennebunkport at about 3:45 p.m., a sudden emergency that turned an ordinary flight into a desperate rescue scene on open water.

The official aviation record reflects the severity of the event: among the five people aboard, the accident resulted in two fatal injuries, two minor injuries, and one serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the NTSB investigation documented serious internal engine damage, including an exposed and fractured camshaft and damage involving the connecting rods. These technical findings help explain how quickly the flight deteriorated after the initial engine failure, but they do not lessen the human reality of what happened: Henry Horner was a passenger on a flight that left Portsmouth for Nova Scotia and ended in the ocean off Maine, leaving his loved ones with grief, uncertainty, and an official missing person record connected to the crash.

One personal detail preserved in public case information is the clothing-and-accessory evidence associated with Henry’s case: a brown moccasin-type left shoe was noted as found. That small detail stands out because it represents one of the few tangible traces connected to him in the public record. His case was handled by the Maine State Police, and online missing-person listings continue to associate him with Kennebunkport and the August 18, 2000 crash. In overview, Henry Chandler Horner’s case began with a planned flight from New Hampshire toward Nova Scotia, became an emergency when the aircraft suffered catastrophic engine trouble over the Atlantic, and ended with a forced ditching off the Maine coast in which survivors were rescued but Henry remained the subject of a missing-person case tied to one of the two fatal outcomes recorded from the accident.
Last Seen: Aug 29, 2000

Links to Additional Sources (2)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Missing Person / NamUs
  • joint resolution honoring those maine fishermen lost at sea

    • Possible Unidentified Matches (1)

    Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

    75%Possible
    John Doe — Brooklyn, New York - unidentified case UP5784
    John Doe — Brooklyn, New York
    UP5784 • Found Jul 16, 2002
    View case
    Sex ✓Male
    Age 100%Est. 40–55 vs 41 when missing
    Race 100%White
    Location 41%342 mi away
    TimingFound 23 months after last seen
    Height 100%5'11" vs 5'11"
    Weight 97%150 lb vs 170–175 lb
    Hair 100%Brown vs Brown
    Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown

    These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

    Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.

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    Forum Posts (2)

    Has anyone ever looked into the possibility of David Stortz having connections or acquaintances... ...Read More
    10/21/2023
    Hey everyone, I’ve been diving into the details surrounding David Stortz's case recently, and one... ...Read More
    02/10/2023

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