Private aircraft goes missing in Australia's Snowy Mountains

A spokesperson from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority stated: "NSW Police, SES, National Parks and Wildlife, and Snowy Hydro ground search teams will continue their efforts until last light today and recommence the ground search at first light tomorrow. The ground search teams will be faced with rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain, impacted by recent heavy snowfalls."

The search is hindered by heavy snowfall in the region. Rescue attempts include multiple fixed-wing and rotary aircraft deployed to locate the 59-year-old Beechcraft plane built in 1966. A Challenger jet from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority is among those used for fixed-wing searches. Rotary aircraft involved include a Victorian Ambulance Emergency Medical helicopter and a Toll rescue helicopter from Bankstown.

Adverse weather conditions led to suspending today's search activities, which are hoped to resume tomorrow if weather permits. Police suggest that the plane may have crashed near Dargals Trail.

Australia has experienced several unsolved aircraft disappearances over time. Notably, pilot Frederick Valentich vanished while flying over Bass Strait in October 1978 after reportedly encountering an unidentified flying object. Additionally, less than three years later, a Cessna 210 disappeared in Barrington Tops area without trace.