A major search operation has been launched after a light aircraft vanished without trace.
No mayday call or radio communication was made prior to the disappearance, in scenes reminiscent of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 mystery over ten years ago . The two-seater aircraft was travelling across the Bass Strait on a route from Tasmania to New South Wales (NSW) in Australia on August 2.
The pilot, 72 year old Gregory Vaughan and his partner Kim Warner, 66, were aboard with their dog, Molly. They departed from George Town Airport around 12:45pm on that day with their schedule including a stopover in Victoria before concluding at Hillston Airport near Condobolin, NSW. The news comes shortly after a Boeing plane loses part of wing in mid-air.
Nevertheless, concerns were raised at 5pm when they failed to reach their destination and no contact was established with the pair. A comprehensive search mission, utilising aerial, maritime and ground assets, has been initiated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spanning northern Tasmania, the Bass Strait, and southern Victoria, reports the Daily Star.
A helicopter, aircraft, a vessel and police craft have been mobilised in the bid to trace the missing plane. George Town flight instructor Eugene Reid voiced his bewilderment regarding the vanishing, reports the Mirror.
He told ABC: “You have to do scheduled reporting. On leaving the coast, they should have called up air services.”
Regional airports such as George Town don’t necessarily monitor individual flight schedules. Eugene commented: “If someone took their plane out of the hangar and flew away, well, you wouldn’t know.”
Despite the aircraft being equipped with an emergency satellite beacon, no signal was detected when things went south.
Tasmania Police confirmed they were “providing support” to the search operation. They stated: “The plane did not reach its destination as scheduled and authorities were notified by concerned family members that it was overdue. As a result, a search operation involving plane, helicopter and marine resources was activated.”
Inspector Nick Clark described the pilot as “very experienced” and a familiar face at the local flying club. However, he pointed out that the plane was “new to him,” having been purchased just three to four months earlier.
He said: “We believe he has had several flights prior to this incident. Any body of water is difficult to search. The main thing is, though, that this is still a search operation.”
Meanwhile, Inspector Craig Fox revealed that the helicopter sweeps failed to uncover any wreckage or debris that could hint at the plane’s location. He added that Tasmania Police would reassess the search operations “daily” and that no decision had been made yet to suspend the search.
In a shocking twist, an aviation expert has claimed that the infamous flight MH370 was hijacked by Russia in a bid to divert attention from their annexation of Crimea. Jeff Wise alleges that Russian leader Vladimir Putin authorised the hijacking and planted its flaperon on a remote island to hide their involvement.
The Boeing 777, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, known as Flight MH370, vanished with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, sparking one of the most perplexing mysteries in aviation history. It remains the deadliest single incident of an aircraft disappearance.