Search efforts continue across land and sea for the trio – authorities say they want to find them alive. Search efforts entered their third day with no evidence of the plane or passengers yet found
A man piloting a private plane with his partner and their dog has disappeared after failing to issue a mayday call before the aircraft went off-grid.
Search efforts are underway to find the trio. The two-seater aircraft took off from George Town in Northern Tasmania, Australia on Saturday afternoon. The man is in his 70s, and the female passenger in her 60s, have not been seen or heard from since.
The aircraft was set to stop off in Leongatha in southern Victoria, before flying to Hillston Airport in New South Wales. But the plane never made it to Leongatha, and no mayday call or radio contact was ever made.
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The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the pilot didn’t make contact before takeoff. The AMSA is investigating whether the plane disappeared before it should have issued a mayday call.
The plane was reportedly equipped with an emergency satellite beacon, which is set to to trigger an alert if anything on the craft goes wrong. The lack of signal has baffled aviation experts.
One George Town flight instructor Eugene Reid told ABC: “You have to do scheduled reporting. On leaving the coast, they should have called up air services.”
Reid noted that local airports like George Town don’t always track individual flight plans. “If someone took their plane out of the hangar and flew away, well, you wouldn’t know,” he said.
The multi-agency search entered its third day on Monday with urgency to find the group reaching a high.
Authorities have trawled through vast swathes of the country including Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southern Victoria with helicopters, aircraft, and marine crews.
Air and marine assets from Tasmania Police, Victoria Police, and regional airline Par Avion have also been trawling through the sea.
AMSA previously said: “Just after 5pm on Saturday evening, concern was raised after the aircraft failed to land in Central Western NSW.
“Search efforts are underway across northern Tasmania around George Town, over the Bass Strait and southern Victoria around Morwell and Leongatha.”
They said the focus remains on finding the pair alive.
Police have confirmed the couple, both Tasmanian residents, were travelling to visit family in NSW when they disappeared.
AMSA confirmed the aircraft disappeared over Bass Strait after leaving George Town around 12.45pm.
The alarm was raised shortly after 5pm on Saturday by concerned relatives after the pair failed to arrive in NSW.
Tasmania Police Inspector Nick Clark said the pilot was “very experienced” and a key member of the local aero club, but that the plane was “new to him,” and was only purchased three to four months ago.
“We believe he has had several flights prior to this incident,” Clark said. “Any body of water is difficult to search. The main thing is, though, that this is still a search operation.”
Anyone travelling near George Town, crossing Bass Strait, or along southern Victoria’s coastline is urged to report any signs of wreckage to AMSA or Tasmania Police immediately.
In a direct appeal to the public, Inspector Clark said: “Keep a lookout for any debris or something as simple as a life jacket or some aeroplane parts.
“If you find people in the water and it’s safe to do so, please render them assistance.”