Bushfires see Coolangatta plane search abandoned
THE search for the plane that departed Coolangatta 32-years ago was disrupted by the looming bushfire threat.
NSW Police officer Sergeant Kevin Daley said he had not heard whether the plane was found, because personnel were helping to fight bushfires across NSW.
However, Sgt Daley assumed the plane had not been found during the search, which was conducted from October 18 to 20 .
"Everybody who was on that search is now working on the bushfires," he said.
"As far as I've heard it was quite an arduous search."
The VH MDX Cessna departed from Coolangatta Airport on August 8, 1981, heading to Bankstown.
It struck severe weather at 7.30pm and was last heard from nine minutes later.
The four passengers on the plane were NSW Police Inspector Ken Price, 54, Rhett Bolsler, 33, Noel Wildash, 40, and Phillip Pembroke, 43. The pilot was 52-year-old Mick Hutchins.
