Search operations have resumed for a light aircraft that is feared to have gone missing over Bass Strait. The plane, carrying two people and a dog, departed from George Town Airport in Tasmania on Saturday but failed to arrive at Hillston Airport in New South Wales. It was also scheduled to stop in Leongatha, located in Victoria’s Gippsland region.
According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), concern arose shortly after 5pm on Saturday when the aircraft did not land as intended. The pilot reportedly did not establish any communication with authorities. The missing individuals are believed to include a man in his seventies and a woman in her sixties.
The search was initially conducted until dusk on Saturday and resumed this morning, focusing on areas in both Tasmania and Victoria. An AMSA spokesperson confirmed that a Challenger aircraft from the authority, along with a Tasmanian police helicopter, is actively involved in the search efforts over Bass Strait and northern Tasmania.
AMSA has appealed for anyone with relevant information to contact the AMSA Response Centre. The agency, along with Tasmania Police, encourages residents of George Town and those navigating the waters in northern Tasmania and Bass Strait to remain vigilant for any signs of the aircraft or its occupants, and to assist if it is safe to do so.