The body of a man discovered in the wreckage of a light plane in the Snowy Mountains on Friday is believed to be that of missing pilot David Stephens, police have said. The 74-year-old from Bega, New South Wales, was flying from Wangaratta in Victoria to Moruya on the NSW south coast when his aircraft vanished on Tuesday afternoon.
NSW Police stated that while formal identification is pending, they believe the body is that of Stephens. The crash site, located near Dargals Trail east of Khancoban, was spotted on Thursday afternoon after a multi-day search involving air and land assets. Superintendent Andrew Spliet confirmed the aircraft, a single-engine 1966 Beechcraft Debonair, was completely destroyed and the impact was unsurvivable.
The recovery operation, which began around midday on Friday, involves officers from the Riverina police district, PolAir, Police Rescue, and the criminal investigation and crime scene unit. The terrain is described as very steep and covered in snow, requiring multiple air assets to access the site. A helicopter is winching investigators to the location.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into the crash, working with NSW Police to gather evidence, including imagery and any recorded data from the aircraft. A report will be prepared for the coroner. The search effort included the police alpine operations unit, NSW and Victorian ambulance services, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, state emergency services, Snowy Hydro, and an Australian Maritime Safety Authority Challenger rescue jet.
