29 September 2005 Immediate Release
Media Release
Missing aircraft found
A light plane missing since Saturday was found this morning. The plane, on a flight from Murwillumbah to Coonabarabran in northern New South Wales, was found crashed in rough terrain about 37 kilometres south-east of Tenterfield. There were no survivors at the scene.
The Beech 36 single-engine aircraft, with an elderly couple on board, left Murwillumbah Saturday morning, and was due to arrive in Coonabarabran later that day.
A search for the aircraft commenced shortly after 4pm yesterday after a relative of the couple reported them missing. Two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft with Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) camera capability searched along the flight path yesterday afternoon and evening. The search was expanded to include 13 fixed-wing aircraft and five helicopters from first light this morning.
Acting on information from the local community, a helicopter search crew located the aircraft wreckage shortly after 10am. The helicopter, with a medic on board, landed at the scene, and it was confirmed there were no survivors of the crash.
Police are at the crash site and air safety investigators are travelling to the scene.
Further Information: Adrian Rollins 0400 016 845
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