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Beech Debonair VH-KZK crash site found, ATSB open investigation?? -   

Via ABC News:

Snowy Mountains plane crash not survivable, police say


Missing pilot David Stephens with his 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plan (Supplied: Lynda Leigh)

What's next?

Police will continue to investigate the wreckage today.

Police say the pilot of a plane that crashed in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains would not have survived the impact.

Authorities believe the pilot is Bega man David Stephens.

His plane was inspected before taking off from Wangaratta in Victoria on Tuesday afternoon.

The 74-year-old did not arrive at Moruya and an extensive land and air search began.

At about 4pm on Thursday a rescue helicopter located wreckage near the plane's last known location.

Riverina Police District Commander Superintendent Andrew Spliet said the crash was not a "survivable collision".

"You wouldn't recognise [the wreckage] it as an airplane … a fair bit of speed into the mountain range there, which has completely destroyed that aircraft," he said.

"It wouldn't be a survivable collision.

"There is quite a bit of wreckage from that impact."

Police investigators are attending the scene.

Courtesy of PJ's media minions...

Khancoban aircraft accident

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Date: 18/07/2025
Media Contact: media@atsb.gov.au

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has commenced a transport safety investigation into a collision with terrain accident east of Khancoban, in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains, involving a Beechcraft Debonair light aircraft. 

The aircraft was conducting a private flight from Wangaratta, Victoria to Moruya on the New South Wales south coast on Tuesday, and was reported missing when it failed to arrive at its destination. 

The ATSB commenced its investigation into the accident after an extensive aerial search located the aircraft wreckage on Thursday afternoon, in snow-covered mountainous terrain in the Kosciuszko National Park, east of Khancoban. 

Investigators are working closely with the NSW Police to gather available evidence, including imagery of the accident site and any aircraft components containing recorded data that can be retrieved and recovered to the ATSB’s technical facilities in Canberra for download and analysis. 

Investigators are also collecting relevant recorded information including ADS-B flight tracking data, weather information, and pilot and aircraft maintenance records. 

The ATSB will provide a substantive update on the progress of the investigation when it releases a preliminary report, which will detail factual information established in the investigation’s evidence gathering phase, in about two months.  

The investigation’s findings will be contained in a final report to be released at the conclusion of the investigation.

That report will also detail the ATSB’s analysis of the evidence to support those findings.    

However, should a critical safety issue be identified during the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so safety action can be taken. [/size]

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