Family’s worst fears are realised as pilot’s body is found near wreckage of his light plane in a remote Australian forest after mysterious crash
- The body of a pilot has been found more than 24 hrs after his plane crashed
- He was on a routine flight on Saturday morning in Melaleuca, in Tasmania
- Rescue helicopters found the wreckage of the pilot’s plane on Saturday night
The body of a pilot has been found more than 24 hours after his plane crashed in a remote Tasmanian mountain range on Saturday.
The man’s body was recovered by search and rescue services on Sunday, police confirmed.
‘Search and rescue trained forensic investigators have retrieved the pilot’s body following yesterday’s tragic light plane crash near Federation Peak in Tasmania’s remote south-west,’ police said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The body of a pilot, from airline company Par Avion (pictured), has been found more than 24 hrs after his plane crashed in a Tasmanian mountain range on Saturday night, police confirmed
The pilot, who worked for a flight tourism company Par Avion, had been on a routine flight to Melaleuca, in southwest Tasmania, to pick up passengers on Saturday morning.
Police were alerted that the pilot, whose name has not been released, was missing at 8.30am.
Search and rescue helicopters found the wreckage of the two-engine plane near Federation Peak mountain just after 7pm on Saturday.
(Pictured) The flight path that was taken on Saturday morning when the pilot was sent to pick up passengers on a routine flight to Melaleuca, in southwest Tasmania
Rescuers previously said the pilot had ‘zero chance of survivability’ because of the extent of the damage among the steep and dangerous terrain.
Par Avion’s parent company’s managing director Shannon Wells said the pilot had been at the company for three years and was ‘very experienced and well-qualified.’
He said that the poor weather on Saturday was not unusual.
‘It’s a region that gets 300 days of rain a year, it gets hurricane-force winds fairly frequently.
Our company and our pilots are used to flying in that kind of weather,’ Mr Wells told reporters on Sunday morning.
Inspector Dave Wiss (pictured left) sent his condolences to the family of the pilot. ‘Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time,’ he said. Search and rescue helicopters found the wreckage of the two-engine plane near Federation Peak mountain just after 7pm on Saturday (stock image)
‘Search and rescue trained forensic investigators have retrieved the pilot’s body following yesterday’s tragic light plane crash near Federation Peak in Tasmania’s remote south-west,’ police said in a statement posted on Facebook
Inspector Dave Wiss sent his condolences to the family of the pilot. ‘Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time,’ he previously told reporters.
People have taken to social media pouring their tributes to the pilot and his family.
Thinking of the family and friends may you rest in peace,’ one man said.
‘Well done rescue team. Thinking of friends and family. RIP,’ another said.
The plane’s black box was removed and has been taken to Hobart for forensic examination.
Search and rescue helicopters found the wreckage of the two-engine plane near Federation Peak (pictured) mountain just after 7pm on Saturday
Search and rescue helicopters found the wreckage of the two-engine plane near Federation Peak mountain just after 7pm on Saturday (stock image)