A man missing in the Snowy Mountains has been identified as ‘experienced’ pilot David Stephens

Wreckage has been found in the major search for a plane missing in the Snowy Mountains with Bega pilot David Stephens on board.

The wreckage of a plane missing in the Snowy Mountains has been found, after a desperate search in shocking conditions.

But there is no sign yet of the pilot David Stephens, 74, who was flying his 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane from Wangaratta when contact was lost on Tuesday.

“About 4pm today, a rescue helicopter located what is believed to be the crashed plane near the plane’s last known GPS location,” NSW Police said in a statement just before 7pm on Thursday.

“NSW Police Force now have carriage of this matter with investigations to continue tomorrow.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Bega local’s family issued a statement .

“David loved to fly, he earned his pilot’s licence even before his drivers licence in the 1960s,” the statement said.

Pilot David Stephens and his 1966 Beechcraft Debonair plane disappeared while returning home from having the plane serviced in Wangaratta. Picture: Supplied

His wife, Lynda Leigh told the ABC Mr Stephens was an experienced pilot and was returning home from having his aircraft serviced in Wangaratta.

“Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday after having his aircraft inspected,” she said.

“It is known that the mountain weather can turn very quickly, and we can only assume he must have seen a way over the mountain to decide not to turn back to Wangaratta.

“David has quite a bit of experience flying that plane, but we can’t know what situation he was facing, and we’ll only have answers once they locate the plane and with that David.”

Ms Leigh said Mr Stephens was just two months away from retiring.

“Which makes the situation more heartbreaking as his family was looking to spend more time with him after decades of work,” Ms Leigh said.

Pilot David Stephens pictured here with his father has been flying since a teenager. Picture: Supplied

Search crews had faced major challenges in the search for Mr Stephens after he failed to land at Moruya airport in NSW on Tuesday.

He had been flying solo from Wangaratta in Victoria.

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

Friend Tony Rettke, Frog’s Hollow Flyers aero club president, said Mr Stephens was a “very capable” pilot, but the area he is thought to have run into trouble was difficult,

“We call it tiger country, anywhere that’s difficult to make a forced landing,” he told Nine News.

“We’re all aware of the different possibilities in flying light aircraft, David’s very capable and very experienced to be flying the length that he has.”

The aerial search has been co-ordinated by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) assisted by NSW Police, NSW SES, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Snowy Hydro.

AMSA said the search had resumed on Thursday morning, however said rescue crews were facing “significant” challenges as weather conditions deteriorated.

“AMSA has its fixed-wing rescue jet and search helicopters in the area,” AMSA response centre duty manager Dan Gillis said.

“They’re doing their best to search the area, but it is a very challenging search due to the terrain and the weather conditions, which are quite hazardous at the moment,

“The ground crew are having significant challenges with access to the region, the trails are heavily snowed in, it’s very rugged terrain and very steep alpine terrain that they’re trying to navigate through.”

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 had been assisting with the air search on Tuesday.

The search had been suspended on Wednesday afternoon due to limited visibility.

Temperatures in Khancoban dropped as low as 5C on Tuesday, with snow showers above 1200m expected in the coming days.

Originally published as A man missing in the Snowy Mountains has been identified as ‘experienced’ pilot David Stephens