Search for missing Aussie plane turns desperate as authorities fear it has crashed in remote alpine wilderness
Emergency services were notified about 4.35pm on Tuesday the light aircraft had missed its scheduled arrival time at Moruya Airport on NSW 's Far South Coast.
It was flying from Wangaratta in north-east Victoria with one person on board, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
Its last known location was Khancoban, a small town in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains.
'The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was notified by Air Services Australia that a plane took off from Victoria, bound for Moruya Airport; however, it never arrived,' a NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
Police believe the plane may have crashed within 500metres of the Dargals Trail, a remote hiking and mountain biking track in Kosciuszko National Park.
A multi-agency search effort was launched on Tuesday led by the NSW Police Alpine Operations Unit officer along with the NSW and Victoria Ambulance Service.
Despite assistance from the National Parks and Wildlife Services and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre airwing, the plane was unable to be located.
Multi-agency ground search efforts resumed about 8.30am on Wednesday morning and were expected to continue into nightfall.
Ground searches are set to recommence at first morning light.
'The ground-search teams will be faced with rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain impacted by recent heavy snow falls,' an AMSA spokesperson told ABC News.
Meanwhile the AMSA-led aerial search near Khancoban was reportedly suspended about 4pm on Wednesday due to 'limited visibility'.
Temperatures at Khancoban ranged between five and ten degrees Celsius on Tuesday with snow showers forecast at higher altitudes.
Further showers are expected to take place on Thursday with temperatures falling as low as one degree above freezing.
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Search resumes for plane missing in ‘rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain' after failing to land at NSW
A major search is underway for a small plane that failed to make a scheduled landing at the Moruya airport in Australia 's New South Wales (NSW). The plane carrying just one person took off from Wangaratta in Victoria and was due to land at Moruya airport on the Far South Coast at about 4.30pm local time on Tuesday. Emergency services were notified after the plane failed to land at the estimated time. The plane's last known position was over Khancoban in the Snowy Mountains, according to reports. The NSW police believe the plane could have crashed about 500m off Dargals Trail in the Snowy Valleys, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The plane's disappearance prompted a multi-agency search operation, which included the NSW police, wildlife and national parks crews. Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) Challenger jet, Victorian ambulance emergency medical helicopter and a toll rescue helicopter have been deployed to conduct an aerial search, the police said. The multi-agency aerial search resumed on Thursday morning after it was suspended at around 4pm Wednesday due to limited visibility. 'The ground search teams will be faced with rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain, impacted by recent heavy snowfalls,' the AMSA said in a statement. Temperatures in Khancoban dropped to around 5°C on Tuesday, the day the plane went missing, while conditions remained cold on Wednesday. Temperatures are forecast to fall further to 1°C on Thursday, with snow again possible above 1,000m, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The missing small plane is reportedly a Beechcraft 35-C33 Debonair – owned by a man in Bega, NSW, about 120km south of Moruya. The single-engine four-seater had flown from Moruya to Frogs Hollow airstrip, south of Bega, on Sunday. The next day, the aircraft flew from Moruya to Wangaratta, according to the Border Mail.
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Search for missing Aussie plane turns desperate as authorities fear it has crashed in remote alpine wilderness
A search is underway for a plane which was declared missing after failing to make its scheduled arrival time, with fears it may have crashed in a remote alpine wilderness. Emergency services were notified about 4.35pm on Tuesday the light aircraft had missed its scheduled arrival time at Moruya Airport on NSW 's Far South Coast. It was flying from Wangaratta in north-east Victoria with one person on board, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). Its last known location was Khancoban, a small town in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains. 'The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was notified by Air Services Australia that a plane took off from Victoria, bound for Moruya Airport; however, it never arrived,' a NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. Police believe the plane may have crashed within 500metres of the Dargals Trail, a remote hiking and mountain biking track in Kosciuszko National Park. A multi-agency search effort was launched on Tuesday led by the NSW Police Alpine Operations Unit officer along with the NSW and Victoria Ambulance Service. Despite assistance from the National Parks and Wildlife Services and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre airwing, the plane was unable to be located. Multi-agency ground search efforts resumed about 8.30am on Wednesday morning and were expected to continue into nightfall. Ground searches are set to recommence at first morning light. 'The ground-search teams will be faced with rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain impacted by recent heavy snow falls,' an AMSA spokesperson told ABC News. Meanwhile the AMSA-led aerial search near Khancoban was reportedly suspended about 4pm on Wednesday due to 'limited visibility'. Temperatures at Khancoban ranged between five and ten degrees Celsius on Tuesday with snow showers forecast at higher altitudes. Further showers are expected to take place on Thursday with temperatures falling as low as one degree above freezing.
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