Police believe the body found in the wreckage of a light plane in the Snowy Mountains is that of missing pilot David Stephens, a 74-year-old man from Bega, New South Wales. The aircraft vanished on Tuesday afternoon while flying from Wangaratta in Victoria to Moruya on the NSW south coast.
The wreckage was spotted near Dargals Trail, east of Khancoban, on Thursday afternoon after a multi-day search involving air and ground teams. NSW Police Superintendent Andrew Spliet said the aircraft was completely destroyed and the impact was not survivable. The terrain was steep and covered in snow, requiring helicopters to winch investigators to the site.
The body is yet to be formally identified, but police stated they believe it is Stephens. A recovery operation began on Friday to retrieve the remains and examine the wreckage. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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, a single-engine 1966 Beechcraft Debonair 35-C33.
