Pilot ‘didn't send mayday call' before plane vanished without a trace as search for missing couple on board continues

Scottish Sun

a day ago

Pilot was 'very experienced' but plane was 'new to him' after buying it just months ago
PLANE MYSTERY Pilot 'didn't send mayday call' before plane vanished without a trace as search for missing couple on board continues
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A PILOT flying off Australia with his partner and their dog reportedly failed to contact authorities before their plane disappeared.
The two-seater aircraft took off from George Town in Northern Tasmania on Saturday afternoon.
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An Australian Maritime Safety Authority search aircraft reportedly deployed to search for the plane
Credit: Australian Maritime Safety Authority
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The plane took off from George Town in Northern Tasmania on Saturday afternoon
Credit: Google Maps
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On board was a man in his 70s, a female passenger in her 60s, and their dog, but none have been seen or heard from since.
The plane was set to stop in Leongatha in southern Victoria, before continuing to on to Hillston Airport in New South Wales.
But the aircraft never made it to its first stop — and no mayday call or radio contact was ever made.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed the pilot didn't make contact before takeoff, but added it's still investigating whether the plane disappeared before such communication was required.
The move has since stunned aviation experts, with George Town flight instructor Eugene Reid telling ABC: 'You have to do scheduled reporting.
'On leaving the coast, they should have called up air services.'
Compounding the mystery, the aircraft was reportedly equipped with an emergency satellite beacon, which should have triggered if anything had gone wrong — but no signal was detected.
Reid also noted that local airports like George Town don't always track individual flight plans.
'If someone took their plane out of the hangar and flew away, well, you wouldn't know,' he said.
The revelation has since intensified the urgency of the multi-agency search, which entered its third day on Monday.
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Authorities are scouring vast stretches of northern Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southern Victoria with helicopters, aircraft, and marine crews.
They say the focus remains on finding the pair alive.
Police have confirmed the couple, both Tasmanian residents, were travelling to visit family in NSW when they disappeared.
AMSA confirmed the aircraft disappeared over Bass Strait after leaving George Town around 12.45pm.
The alarm was raised shortly after 5pm on Saturday by concerned relatives after the pair failed to arrive in NSW.
Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark said the pilot was 'very experienced' and a key member of the local aero club.
But he added the plane itself was 'new to him,' having only been purchased three to four months ago.
'We believe he has had several flights prior to this incident,' Clark said.
'Any body of water is difficult to search. The main thing is, though, that this is still a search operation.'
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Rescue workers are searching the area near the flight's path
Credit: Australian Maritime Safety Authority
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A Tasmania Police boat involved in the search operation
Credit: ABC News: Mackenzie Heard
The disappearance triggered an immediate and large-scale search effort, coordinated by AMSA.
Air and marine assets from Tasmania Police, Victoria Police, and regional airline Par Avion have been combing the area.
AMSA previously said: 'Just after 5pm on Saturday evening, concern was raised after the aircraft failed to land in Central Western NSW.
'Search efforts are underway across northern Tasmania around George Town, over the Bass Strait and southern Victoria around Morwell and Leongatha.'
Anyone travelling near George Town, crossing Bass Strait, or along southern Victoria's coastline is urged to report any signs of wreckage to AMSA or Tasmania Police immediately.
In a direct appeal to the public, Inspector Clark said: 'Keep a lookout for any debris or something as simple as a life jacket or some aeroplane parts.
'If you find people in the water and it's safe to do so, please render them assistance.'
The Sun has contacted AMSA and Tasmania police for more information.