Light plane crashes in Australia, debris found

Sydney, Dec 30: Australian police Tuesday were examining debris of a missing plane which ditched into the sea off the southern island state of Tasmania on Monday.

Two people went missing after a light plane crashed in waters off Tasmania's south-east Monday.

The Cessna 172, which is owned by Airlines of Tasmania, was filming yachts in the Sydney to Hobart race near the Tasman Peninsula.

The Cessna 172 had two men on board when it nosedived into the sea near rugged coastline in treacherous weather at 6.30 p.m. Monday, Xinhua reported.

One was pilot Sam Langford, 29, another a 61-year-old cameraman, who was filming yachts in the Sydney to Hobart ocean race.

The crew of a competing yacht witnessed the crash from 300 meters away and sent out a mayday message but the plane sank within 30 seconds with no sign of both men.

Rescue teams scoured the crash site in fading light and located an oil slick before nightfall.

Nine of the racing yachts immediately diverted to search the crash site and Inspector Lee Renshaw said they had recovered some items which police collected Tuesday.

The water is 90 meters deep where the plane crashed, he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"There were some items unique to the aircraft recovered by a couple of the yachts last night which we have now taken possession of," he said.

"It's a headrest, a set of headphones and a cover of one of the earpieces on the headphones."

The search for more debris continued Tuesday.

IANS