Search for aircraft and pilot continues as wreckage is found in Mudjimba

THE search for the pilot of of a light aircraft that ploughed into the ocean at Kawana on Sunday night continued yesterday, beginning with the discovery of one of the planes wheels on Mudjimba Beach

By KERRYN FRASER -- [e-mail]

THE search for the pilot of of a light aircraft that ploughed into the ocean at Kawana on Sunday night continued yesterday, beginning with the discovery of one of the planes wheels on Mudjimba Beach.

Bokarina man Barry Coventon was flying his Mooney M20K aircraft from the western NSW town of Cobar to Caloundra Airport when it crashed about 1.5km off-shore at about 8.15pm.

Senior Constable Murray Lyons, of the Sunshine Coast Water Police, said boats and helicopters yesterday continued to search the area where the plane went down, as parts of the aircraft, and Mr Coventons personal items including identification, paperwork and clothing washed up on shore near the Mudjimba Surf Club.

Were searching from where we believe it went down right out to Old Woman Island, Snr Const Lyons said.

Snr Const Astrid Hughes, of the Sunshine Coast Water Police, said search crews tried using a sounder to locate the wreckage, believed to be in water 20 metres deep.

They didnt have any luck this morning, but tomorrow well be using a vessel from Marine Operations in Brisbane which has better three-dimensional sounding equipment, Snr Const Hughes said.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau spokesperson Peter Saint said until investigators could examine some substantial parts of the wreckage, their hands were tied.

If we could view the powerplant (engine) to see if it was generating power, just anything to give us some indication of how the aircraft was performing, he said.

Just a bit of the wing or a bit of the fuselage wont tell us much.

Originally published as Search for aircraft and pilot continues as wreckage is found in Mudjimba