The body of a pilot missing after his plane crashed in the Snowy Mountains near Khancoban has been located in the debris.
A rescue helicopter located the plane near Khancoban at about 4pm on Thursday after it went missing on a flight from Wangaratta to Moruya with pilot 74-year-old Bega man, David Stephens, on board.
Following an extensive search in difficult conditions, the man’s body was located just before 3pm on Friday near the crash site, approximately 500m off the Dargals Trail.
A spokesperson for NSW Police said “A command post was established and a search commenced involving officers attached to the NSW Police Alpine Operations Unit with assistance from NSW and Victoria Ambulance Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre airwing.”
The multi-agency search resumed the following day involving officers attached to NSWS Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, State Emergency Services, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Snowy Hydro.
An AMSA Challenger rescue jet and two helicopters from Victoria and Sydney also conducted an overhead search.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
This article appeared in Corryong Courier, 24 July 2025.
