A missing plane carrying a pilot and his wife is believed to have crashed into water at high speed while heading to a resort off the coast of Queensland.
The 70-year-old pilot and his 52-year-old wife were on a scenic flight to Moreton Island when their hired aircraft disappeared on Wednesday afternoon. Medical advice provided to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority suggested they would not have survived a high-speed crash.The plane vanished over Queensland waters moments after a the pilot made an urgent distress call before losing contact with flight controllers.
The couple had been due to return to the Sunshine Coast later on Wednesday. The pilot was understood to be experienced, and it was not the first time he had flown that particular aircraft. The distress call sparked a major search involving water police, AMSA, helicopters and local fishing trawlers. Multiple helicopters and boats searched the area to the north of the island overnight.
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