Latest news with #LyndaLeigh
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Sad update in search for missing pilot who crashed in the Snowy Mountains
The body of a man has been found in the wreckage of a plane that crashed in the Snowy Mountains earlier this week. Police located the remains near Khancoban, a small town in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains, about 3pm on Friday. While he has yet to be formally identified, police believe the remains belonged to pilot David Stephens, 74, who went missing mid-flight on Tuesday. The plane was declared missing after failing to make its scheduled arrival time about 4.30pm on Tuesday at Moruya Airport on NSW's Far South Coast. It triggered a multi-day search led by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) which came to a head when the wreckage was located about 4pm on Thursday. Mr Stephens had been flying from Wangaratta in north-east Victoria and was the sole occupant of the aircraft. A tax accountant by trade, Mr Stephens reportedly planned to retire within months and has been described as a respected member of the Sapphire Coast community. His wife Lynda Leigh told ABC News the ordeal had been 'heartbreaking' for his family. She described her husband as an experienced pilot and said his aircraft - a 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane - been inspected before taking off from Wangaratta. 'Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday, July 15, after having his aircraft inspected,' Ms Leigh said. 'It is known that the mountain weather can turn very quickly, and we can only assume he must have seen a way over the mountain to decide not to turn back to Wangaratta. 'David has quite a bit of experience flying the plane, but we can't know what situation he was facing, and we'll only have answers once they locate the plane and, with that, David.' NSW Police took charge of the search operation when the plane was spotted and remain at the site of the crash. They are expected to recover the body later this afternoon and will prepare a report for the coroner.
ABC News
17-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Wife of missing pilot David Stephens says the experienced pilot had plane recently inspected
The wife of a missing pilot in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains says he is an experienced flyer and the situation has been "heartbreaking" for his family. Bega man David Stephens had his plane inspected before taking off from Wangaratta in Victoria on Tuesday afternoon, headed for Moruya on the NSW south coast. The 74-year-old never arrived at his destination, and an extensive land and air search is underway at his last known location east of Khancoban in the Snowy Mountains. His wife, Lynda Leigh, issued a statement to the ABC, saying Mr Stephens was an experienced pilot and a member of the Frog's Hollow Flyers aero club. "Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday after having his aircraft inspected," she said in the statement. "It is known that the mountain weather can turn very quickly, and we can only assume he must have seen a way over the mountain to decide not to turn back to Wangaratta. "David has quite a bit of experience flying that plane, but we can't know what situation he was facing, and we'll only have answers once they locate the plane and with that David." Ms Leigh said Mr Stephens was an accountant and was just two months away from retiring. She said he was also a well-known rally sport commentator on the Sapphire Coast region. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is leading a multi-agency search for Mr Stephens and his plane, and said in a statement that the teams were struggling in "treacherous conditions". "The trails are heavily snowed in. It's very rugged terrain and very steep alpine terrain that they're trying to navigate through," AMSA duty manager Dan Gilllis said. The search involving multiple agencies commenced on Tuesday, assisted by NSW Police, NSW SES, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Snowy Hydro. NSW Police said it was possible the plane crashed about 500 metres off Dargals Trail in the Snowy Valleys. Mr Gillis said there were a number of aircraft also searching the remote area. The search will continue until nightfall.
