Latest news with #SnowyMountains
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Body found in search for missing pilot who crashed in Snowy Mountains
The body of a man has been found in the wreckage of a plane that went missing in the Snowy Mountains earlier this week. The body was located at the crash site just before 3pm on Friday, and police believe it is the remains of pilot David Stephens. 'While he is yet to be formally identified, police believe the body is that of the missing pilot,' NSW police said in a statement. The body is expected to be recovered from the crash site later Friday afternoon and a report will be prepared for the coroner. Earlier on Friday police conceded it was 'fairly clear' Mr Stephens had not survived the impact. The 74-year-old, an experienced pilot from Bega, was flying the 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane from Wangaratta in Victoria to Moruya Airport on the NSW South Coast on Tuesday when he lost contact. NSW Police confirmed the plane's wreckage was found about 4pm on Thursday, with a rescue helicopter locating 'what is believed to be the crashed plane near the plane's last known GPS location'. Speaking on Friday, Superintendent Andrew Spliet said crews were still working to find the cause of the crash and the pilot's whereabouts. He told reporters the impact of the crash was significant and it was 'fairly clear that wouldn't be survivable'. The pilot's body has not been located. Superintendent Spliet said the impact of the crash was so severe 'you wouldn't recognise it as a plane'. 'Obviously, (there was) a fair bit of speed into the mountain range there, which has completely destroyed that aircraft,' he said. 'And as I said, it wouldn't be a survivable collision.' He explained the conditions in the Snowy Mountains were 'very difficult' for the emergency crews to access, with lots of snow and a 'very steep' terrain. 'It was a lot of very steep, overgrown terrain up there, so it was difficult to locate initially and also due to those weather conditions,' Superintendent Spliet said. 'But when that cleared, we were able to get those air assets over the co-ordinates that we've been provided, and that's when the crash site was identified.' He said an investigation into the crash would determine if the weather played a role. 'Obviously, that evening … the weather conditions were fairly unpleasant and not very good for search and the air assets in the air at the time,' he said. 'I would say that (the weather conditions) weren't ideal.' Mr Stephens' wife Lynda Leigh told the ABC that he was an experienced pilot and only two months from retiring. He had been on his way home when he disappeared. '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,' she said. '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.' Friend and Frog's Hollow Flyers aero club president Tony Radcliffe told 9News that Mr Stephens was a 'very capable' pilot, though Mr Radcliffe was worried about the conditions Mr Stephens faced. 'We call it tiger country, anywhere that's difficult to make a forced landing,' he told the outlet. 'We're all aware of the different possibilities in flying light aircraft. David's very capable and very experienced to be flying the length that he has.'
ABC News
4 days ago
- ABC News
Body found in search for missing pilot
NSW Police have found a body during their search for a missing pilot whose plane crashed in the Snowy Mountains. ( Supplied: ACT Police )
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- 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
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Snowy Mountains plane crash not survivable, police say
Police say the pilot of a plane that crashed in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains would not have survived the impact. Authorities believe the pilot is Bega man David Stephens. His plane was inspected before taking off from Wangaratta in Victoria on Tuesday afternoon. The 74-year-old did not arrive at Moruya and an extensive land and air search began. At about 4pm on Thursday a rescue helicopter located wreckage near the plane's last known location. Riverina Police District Commander Superintendent Andrew Spliet said the crash was not a "survivable collision". "You wouldn't recognise [the wreckage] it as an airplane … a fair bit of speed into the mountain range there, which has completely destroyed that aircraft," he said. "It wouldn't be a survivable collision. "There is quite a bit of wreckage from that impact." Police investigators are attending the scene.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Fears for pilot David Stephens after crashed plane found in remote NSW Snowy Mountains
A multi-agency search, including specialist forensic police officers, is under way for an elderly pilot whose light plane crashed in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains region earlier this week. The pilot, 74-year-old Bega man David Stephens, has been missing since Tuesday afternoon. Stephens was last seen at Wangaratta in Victoria when his plane was inspected before takeoff. NSW police commenced an air and land search for Stephens when he did not arrive at his destination of Moruya airport on the NSW south coast. The downed plane was spotted near Dargals Trail east of Khancoban on Thursday afternoon. A police spokesperson said on Friday a 'recovery operation' would commence about midday to 'retrieve and examine' the plane after it was located in the Snowy Valleys. 'The recovery operation will involve officers from Riverina police district, PolAir, Police Rescue, and the criminal investigation and crime scene unit,' the spokesperson said. 'NSW police force now have carriage of this matter with investigations continuing.' The initial search for the crash site included the police alpine operations unit, the NSW and Victorian ambulance services, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, state emergency services and Snowy Hydro. An Australian Maritime Safety Authority Challenger rescue jet and two helicopters conducted the overhead search.
