Plane missing after failing to land at NSW Airport

A desperate search has so far failed to find a missing plane, with its last known location in the Snowy Mountains.

A desperate search for a missing plane, which failed to make a scheduled landing at a NSW airport, has been temporarily suspended among fears it has crashed.

The aircraft was flying from Wangaratta in Victoria with one person on board.

Its last known position was in the Snowy Mountains, east of Khancoban, which has been described as “rugged and inaccessible”.

A NSW Police spokesperson said it was possible the plane crashed about 500m off Dargals Trail in the Snowy Valleys.

A multi agency ground and air search assisted by NSW Police, NSW SES, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Snowy Hydro, began on Tuesday.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said they were notified by Air Services Australia that an aircraft was overdue arriving at Moruya airport on the south coast of NSW.

The plane's last known position was in the Snowy Mountains, east of Khancoban, NSW. Picture: Supplied / Google Maps

Authorities say recent heavy snow in the region is affecting the search. Picture: NewsWire handout

AMSA’s Essendon-based Challenger jet, a Victorian Ambulance Emergency Medical helicopter and a Toll rescue helicopter from Bankstown were assisting with the air search from 12pm.

An AMSA spokeswoman on Wednesday afternoon said the search had been suspended as of 4pm due to limited visibility and would resume on Thursday morning if weather conditions allowed.

“NSW Police, SES, and 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 spokeswoman said.

“The ground search teams will be faced with rugged and inaccessible alpine terrain, impacted by recent heavy snow falls.”

Temperatures in Khancoban dropped as low as five degrees on Tuesday, with snow showers above 1200m expected in the coming days.