Police believe the body found in the wreckage of a light plane in the Snowy Mountains on Friday is that of missing pilot David Stephens. The 74-year-old from Bega, New South Wales, had been flying from Wangaratta in Victoria to Moruya in NSW when his aircraft disappeared on Tuesday afternoon.
NSW Police stated that while formal identification is pending, they believe the remains are those of Stephens. The crash site, located near Dargals Trail east of Khancoban, was discovered on Thursday afternoon following an extensive air and land search. The single-engine 1966 Beechcraft Debonair 35-C33 was completely destroyed in the impact.
Superintendent Andrew Spliet confirmed that the aircraft was unrecognisable and that the crash was not survivable. “There’s quite a bit of wreckage from the impact. It’s fairly clear that it wouldn’t be survivable,” he told reporters. The recovery operation, involving police, PolAir, and crime scene investigators, began on Friday to retrieve the body and examine the wreckage.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation into the crash. Investigators are working with NSW Police to gather evidence, including imagery and any recorded data from the aircraft. The ATSB will release a final report detailing its findings and analysis.
The search involved multiple agencies, including the police alpine operations unit, ambulance services, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
