A devastating incident happened in the Snowy Mountains when an aircraft carrying a solo pilot crashed, claiming the life of the experienced aviator.

The body of a man was discovered in the wreckage on Friday afternoon near Khancoban, a small town in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains.

According to Daily Mail, the pilot, identified as 74-year-old David Stephens, was flying from Wangaratta in north-east Victoria to Moruya when he lost contact with air traffic control.

Stephens, a respected member of the Sapphire Coast community, was an accomplished pilot with extensive experience.

The search operation, led by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, was launched after the aircraft failed to arrive at Moruya Airport at the scheduled time.

A multi-agency effort involving NSW Police, NSW State Emergency Service, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Snowy Hydro was undertaken to locate the missing plane.

The rugged terrain posed severe challenges, but the wreckage was finally spotted on Thursday afternoon.

Stephens' wife, Lynda Leigh, described the ordeal as "heartbreaking" for the family.

She disclosed that her husband had planned to retire soon and was an experienced pilot with a passion for flying.

In an emotional interview, she said:

"Unfortunately, David disappeared on his flight home on Tuesday, July 15, after having his aircraft inspected. 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 the 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."

As secretary of the Bega Valley aviation club, Frog's Hollow Flyers, Stephens was well-respected within the aviation community.

Eric Johnston, owner of the club's airstrip, paid tribute to Stephens, stating that he had served the club for about a year and was "highly respected" by its members.

NSW Police took charge of the scene after the wreckage was spotted and recovered the body. A report will be prepared for the coroner to determine the cause of the crash.

The incident left the local community in pain, with many paying tribute to Stephens' hardwork and passion for flying.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the captain of the ill-fated Air India flight reportedly handed over control of the plane to the first officer before takeoff.

This handover was captured in the cockpit recordings from the recovered black boxes amid the investigation into the crash.

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Source: Legit.ng