Rhiley Kuhrt, the son of a local police officer and his pregnant wife Maree Kuhrt, were reportedly on the missing plane. Photo / via Facebook
Rhiley Kuhrt, the son of a local police officer and his pregnant wife Maree Kuhrt, were reportedly on the missing plane. Photo / via Facebook
A light aircraft carrying two people that went missing on Sunday has been located, according to Australian Maritime Safety Authority which was co-ordinating the search.
“At 10.15am (AEST) this morning, a crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville,” an AMSA spokesperson said.
“An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon.
“Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin.”
Both passengers are believed to have died in the crash.
The plane — a white and green Piper Cherokee — took off from cattle station Natal Downs, in North Queensland at about 2pm and was due to arrive at Lakeside Airpark at Bloomsbury at 5pm.
A light aircraft was reported missing after it failed to arrive at its destination on Sunday. Photo / Flight Aware
However, it was reported missing not long after when it failed to arrive on its scheduled time.
“The aircraft was reported overdue by air traffic control at 6.30pm (AEST) on Sunday evening,” an AMSA spokesperson said.
According to RACQ, concerned family members raised the alarm after the aircraft failed to arrive at the airfield at its designated time.
“The search continues this morning for a Piper Cherokee aircraft reported missing late yesterday near Bloomsbury,” RACQ said in a Facebook post on Monday.
According to the Courier Mail, Rhiley Kuhrt, the son of a Mackay district police senior sergeant and his pregnant wife Maree Kuhrt were on the missing plane.
Kuhrt, who lives in Mitchell, is head stockman and pilot at Nerrigundah station.
CQ Rescue — two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft — involved in the search took flight just before 8.30pm and completed an aerial search around the airpark but failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft that is designed for flight training, air taxi or personal use.
The search continued this morning for the Piper Cherokee aircraft. Photo / RACQ CQ Rescue
According to RACQ, concerned family members raised the alarm after the aircraft failed to arrive at the airfield at its designated time.
“The search continues this morning for a Piper Cherokee aircraft reported missing late yesterday near Bloomsbury,” RACQ said in a Facebook post on Monday.
“#RACQ #CQRescue searched the area last night after the aircraft, with a man and a woman on board, didn’t arrive at Lakeside Airfield.
“Concerned family members reported the plane missing and an aerial search by the Mackay and Townsville helicopters last night failed to find any sign of the aircraft.”
CQ Rescue completed an aerial search around Lakeside Airpark at Bloomsbury and the surrounding high ground overnight. Photo / RACQ CQ Rescue
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard said search teams had to contend with poor and wet conditions.
