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ABC News
09-08-2025
- General
- ABC News
It has been a week since Gregory Vaughan, Kim Worner and their dog disappeared in a light plane
It was a mild day on the northern Tasmanian coast when a couple and their dog climbed into a small green aeroplane and flew away. But alarms sounded when pilot Gregory Vaughan, 72, his partner, Kim Worner, 66, and their dog, Molly, failed to arrive at their destination in central New South Wales four hours later. Despite an extensive search across Bass Strait and nearby islands, there has been no trace of the missing trio or their plane since the Saturday flight a week ago. It has left many questioning how, in 2025, an aircraft and its occupants can simply disappear. Last Saturday at 12:45pm, Mr Vaughan and Ms Worner departed from George Town airport, about an hour north of their home in Deloraine, in a two-seater Bristell S-LSA plane purchased a few months earlier. They were due to make a fuel stop in regional Victoria, before continuing to Hillston in New South Wales, west of Condobolin. George Town Airport Association president David Brewster said Mr Vaughan had been planning the journey for some time and texted a friend before leaving, telling him he was all set to go. But Mr Brewster said the friend sensed trouble when Mr Vaughan's departure time came and went without a departure call being heard on the radio. Mr Brewster said he and the friend contacted Airservices Australia at about 1:15pm, after noting the plane had left the airport. They then prepared their own planes to conduct a search for Mr Vaughan's aircraft. The formal alarm was raised by a family member after 5pm, when the travellers failed to land at Hillston airport. An official aerial and marine search began soon afterwards. Police said Mr Vaughan had not made a distress call and believed there were no active tracking devices on board. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the pilot made no contact with authorities during the flight. "The best-case scenario we can only really hope for is they have made land somewhere," Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark said on Tuesday. Wynyard Aero Club president David McCarthy said that unless entering controlled airspace, there was no requirement for private or recreational pilots to log their flight plans, make radio calls to air traffic controllers during a flight or have a transponder. In aviation, transponders — a radar-dependent surveillance device — play a vital role in identifying aircraft to air traffic control and other aircraft. "But you should at least notify a responsible person of where you're going and when you're expected back." He said pilots could also nominate a SARTIME (time search action required) with Airservices Australia, which is when search and rescue procedures should be initiated, if the aircraft fails to check in. A Civil Aviation Services Authority (CASA) spokesperson said when flying long distances over water, pilots were required to leave a flight note with a responsible person, or notify authorities through a flight plan or SARTIME. Mr McCarthy said it would be "highly unusual" for an experienced pilot not to make any calls. CASA rules state private or recreational pilots must carry a registered distress beacon when flying more than 50 nautical miles (93 kilometres) from land. Bass Strait at its narrowest point is about 220 nautical miles wide. Recreational Aviation Australia chairman Michael Monck said pilots "should carry life jackets and appropriate sort of safety equipment". Mr Monck confirmed satellite trackers were not required in any type of airspace. He said transponders were only required in some controlled airspaces. Mr McCarthy and Mr Monck fear increased regulation would add to costs and detract from the joy of flying. They said aviation was generally incredibly safe. Mr McCarthy said pilots underwent substantial training. In addition, he said most private pilots performed a flight review with an instructor every two years. "Once I'm in the air, I'm in a much safer environment because of the way that it operates and the way that we're trained." But there would always be a certain level of risk. "The bottom line [is] things can go wrong," he said.
ABC News
07-08-2025
- General
- ABC News
Friends of missing couple Gregory Vaughan and Kim Worner alerted by lack of radio call before Bass Strait flight
Friends of a missing pilot feared something had gone wrong soon after take-off, and they were so worried they took to the sky to search. Pilot Gregory Vaughan, 72, his partner Kim Worner, 66, along with their dog, Molly, have not been heard from since before they departed George Town Airport, in Tasmania's north, on Saturday afternoon. Travelling in their bright green two-seater Bristell S-LSA, they were destined for central western NSW, with a fuel stop in regional Victoria. When they did not arrive that afternoon, a relative who had their flight note raised the alarm, triggering a multi-day search across northern Tasmania, southern Victoria, and the stretch of water separating them. But friends knew something was up earlier. George Town Airport Association president David Brewster said Mr Vaughan, an experienced pilot, had been planning the trip for some time. Worried that he had not heard a broadcast from George Town Airport, Mr Brewster said the friend went to the airfield expecting to find the plane still there, but it was gone. "I was just at the airport doing some work in my hangar, and he came to me quite concerned that he hadn't heard a departure call, he hadn't heard anything on the radio, 'What's going on?'" Mr Brewster said. Within about half an hour of take-off, the two contacted Airservices Australia to see if the pilot had made contact with Melbourne Centre. "We did eventually get onto the [airport traffic control] guys at Melbourne … there'd been a change of shift or something, and for them to be able to find out whether this particular aircraft had made a call on that frequency would have meant pulling all their tapes, and they weren't prepared to pull their tapes just because I was asking them," he said. "[I was] suggesting, you know, 'it would be nice to know if this guy has made a broadcast', because if he made broadcasts on that frequency, we knew that he had at least gone out that far." Mr Brewster said they were told to contact search and rescue if the plane did not arrive at its destination in time, which they later did. "We then went flying, and we looked over all the land between George Town and the coast, and there was no sign of him … the search got underway after that," he said. Mr Brewster said not broadcasting was out of character for Mr Vaughan. "The aviation environment is one where, when a little thing goes wrong, it can really quickly snowball into something bigger than you can handle." Recreational Aviation Australia chair Michael Monck said modern aircraft were typically fitted with an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) transmitter and a transponder. But no signal appears to have been picked up from Mr Vaughan's plane on flight radar maps. Mr Monck said some kind of aircraft fault could prevent a plane from being detected, but anything could have happened. He said the unknown nature was "troubling". "We make every effort to keep it safe, we pre-fly the aircraft, we plan our flights ahead of time, we have things in place to deal with the unexpected, but we can only plan for those things that we understand." "When there are unknowns that cause incidents like this, that leaves a lot of questions." The ABC contacted Airservices Australia, but it declined to comment, saying it was a "Tasmania Police matter". "It has been consistent to the investigation that the pilot and his passenger made no contact with their family or aviation authorities after take-off," a Tasmania Police spokesperson said. "Tasmania Police has received no advice to indicate the pilot, the passenger, or their light plane had active devices that would assist investigators [to] track their location. Investigators have used extensive resources in the conduct of the search. Inspector Craig Fox said the police helicopter would continue sweeping the northern Tasmanian coastline on Friday, using Australian Maritime Safety Authority drift data. Police vessel Cape Wickham will also be deployed, after days off the water due to choppy conditions and no new leads. "On Thursday, the police helicopter conducted sweeps of the Furneaux Island group, including Flinders Island, Cape Barren Island and Chappell Island, plus other smaller islands," Inspector Fox said. "Unfortunately, there was no sight of the plane or any other factors, such as debris, which may indicate its potential location.
Economic Times
07-08-2025
- General
- Economic Times
Police rule out foul play as search for missing Tasmanian plane enters sixth day over Bass Strait
Gregory Vaughan and Kim Worner were last seen on the Tasmanian missing plane on Saturday after take-off from George Town. (Image: Tasmania Police) The search for a missing light plane and its two occupants has entered its sixth day, Tasmania Police said on Thursday, August 7. The aircraft, a bright green Bristell S-LSA, took off from George Town airport at 12:45 pm AEST on Saturday,-August 2 headed for Hillston in central New South Wales, but never arrived. The occupants are Gregory Vaughan, 72, and his partner, Kim Worner, 66, both from Deloraine. Authorities say there has been no contact with the couple or the aircraft since departure. Tasmania Police, with assistance from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, continues the search operation using aerial and marine resources. PolAir will conduct sweeps along the northern coastline, guided by drift modelling data. The statement said that on Thursday, the police helicopter covered areas around Furneaux Islands, including Flinders, Cape Barren, and Chappell Islands. No signs of the plane or debris were found. Marine search vessels, including Cape Wickham, are expected to join the operation. Police noted that marine resources had not been deployed since Tuesday due to poor conditions and the absence of new search leads. Inspector Craig Fox confirmed there is no evidence to suggest anything suspicious about the plane's disappearance. The public has been urged to report any sightings of unusual debris along the northern Tasmanian coast or in the Bass Strait. Anyone with relevant information should contact Tasmania Police on 131 444. Bass Strait is a sea channel that separates mainland Australia (Victoria) from the island state of Tasmania. It spans approximately 240 km wide at its narrowest point and is known for unpredictable weather, strong currents, and challenging flying conditions. The strait contains numerous islands, including the Furneaux Group, which features Flinders Island, Cape Barren Island, and Chappell Island, areas that are currently being searched in the ongoing operation for the missing plane.
Time of India
07-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
Police rule out foul play as search for missing Tasmanian plane enters sixth day over Bass Strait
Search efforts continue Live Events About Bass Strait (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The search for a missing light plane and its two occupants has entered its sixth day, Tasmania Police said on Thursday, August 7. The aircraft, a bright green Bristell S-LSA, took off from George Town airport at 12:45 pm AEST on Saturday,-August 2 headed for Hillston in central New South Wales, but never occupants are Gregory Vaughan , 72, and his partner, Kim Worner , 66, both from Deloraine. Authorities say there has been no contact with the couple or the aircraft since Police, with assistance from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, continues the search operation using aerial and marine resources. PolAir will conduct sweeps along the northern coastline, guided by drift modelling statement said that on Thursday, the police helicopter covered areas around Furneaux Islands, including Flinders, Cape Barren, and Chappell Islands. No signs of the plane or debris were search vessels, including Cape Wickham, are expected to join the operation. Police noted that marine resources had not been deployed since Tuesday due to poor conditions and the absence of new search Craig Fox confirmed there is no evidence to suggest anything suspicious about the plane's public has been urged to report any sightings of unusual debris along the northern Tasmanian coast or in the Bass Strait . Anyone with relevant information should contact Tasmania Police on 131 Strait is a sea channel that separates mainland Australia (Victoria) from the island state of Tasmania. It spans approximately 240 km wide at its narrowest point and is known for unpredictable weather, strong currents, and challenging flying strait contains numerous islands, including the Furneaux Group, which features Flinders Island , Cape Barren Island, and Chappell Island, areas that are currently being searched in the ongoing operation for the missing plane.
The Australian
06-08-2025
- The Australian
Search continues for Tas couple Gregory Vaughan, Kim Worner after plane vanishes
A Tasmanian couple who are missing after their light plane took off from the state's north coast then failed to arrive at their destination three days ago have been identified. Gregory Vaughan, 72, his partner Kim Worner, 66, and their dog Molly, have not been seen or heard from since their green Bristell S-LSA aircraft took off from George Town airport about 12.45pm on Saturday. The plane was scheduled to arrive in central NSW later that day but never landed, prompting family and friends to raise the alarm. The plane is a two-seater Bristell S-LSA in distinctive green colour and has not been seen since it took off from George Town airport in Tasmania. Tasmanian Police inspector Nick Clark said the missing couple had not been in contact with anyone or aviation authorities since they left George Town. A police helicopter search of Tasmania's north coastline between George Town and Turners Beach on Tuesday failed to locate any sighting of the plane. Inclement weather and low cloud has complicated search conditions, while boats did not go out on the water due to the rough conditions. Missing couple Gregory Vaughan, 72, his partner Kim Worner, 66, and their dog Molly, were in a light sport aircraft. Inspector Clark said police would continue searching on Wednesday. 'Significant resources have been used in the search and Pol Air will continue to be used over the next two days, at which time the search efforts will be reassessed based on any possible new information that becomes available,' he said. 'The longer Gregory and Kim are missing the greater the concerns are for their welfare. 'If anyone has information that could assist the search, has seen a plane matching this description, or noticed anything such as unusual debris on land or in the water, they should contact Tasmania Police.'
