A search operation is underway for a private aircraft that vanished over Bass Strait on Saturday without issuing a mayday call. On board were a man in his 70s, a woman in her 60s, and their dog.
The two-seater plane departed George Town in northern Tasmania around 12:45 pm, bound for Leongatha in Victoria and then Hillston in New South Wales. It never arrived at its first stop, and no radio contact was made.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is leading the search, which has entered its third day. Assets from Tasmania Police, Victoria Police, and regional airline Par Avion are scouring land and sea across Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southern Victoria.
Flight instructor Eugene Reid noted that scheduled reporting should have occurred upon leaving the coast. The aircraft was equipped with an emergency satellite beacon, but no signal has been received, puzzling experts.
Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark described the pilot as “very experienced” and a key member of the local aero club, though the plane was new to him, purchased only three to four months ago. “Any body of water is difficult to search,” Clark said, urging the public to report any debris or signs of wreckage.
The couple, both Tasmanian residents, were travelling to visit family in NSW. The alarm was raised shortly after 5 pm on Saturday by concerned relatives.
