He just won an Oscar ... and then he was filing a missing-persons report on it.

Award-winning filmmaker Pasha Talankin -- who thought his golden statuette, which he won earlier this year for Best Documentary Feature -- vanished for good Wednesday after a TSA showdown at John F. Kennedy International Airport in NYC -- is finally breathing easier … because the missing award has been found.

Talankin was forced to check his Oscar after agents flagged the 8.5-pound trophy as a potential weapon before his flight to Germany -- despite him previously traveling with it without issue. When he landed in Frankfurt, the box carrying Hollywood's biggest prize was nowhere to be found … sparking outrage and a frantic search.

Now, the airline, Lufthansa, says the statue has turned up ... Talankin’s collaborator, David Borenstein, posted a statement on Instagram from the airline confirming the Oscar has been located, and the company is in contact with the owner to arrange a handover.

Borenstein had blasted the situation publicly ... questioning whether the filmmaker was treated unfairly and pointing out how rare it is for anyone to be forced to check an Academy Award.

The whole ordeal had people online demanding answers -- and wondering how an Oscar could go from red carpet royalty to lost luggage in a matter of hours.

Worth noting … the Academy can replace a lost statuette, if needed ... in this case, no do-over required.

Still, not exactly the victory lap Talankin had in mind -- but hey, at least this story has a happy ending!