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Missing plane with two people on board found in NSW

The wreckage of a small plane has been found in steep and heavily wooded forest near where it dropped off radar in NSW.

But the condition of the two people on board remains unclear.

NSW Police are now attempting to reach the plane, missing since Friday morning – about 27 kilometres inland from Coffs Harbour – after a helicopter crew located the plane about 6.30am on Saturday.

Rain and low clouds extending to the ground prevented the helicopter being able to winch a person to the site, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

A rescue crew member flies over the NSW crash site - about 27 kilometres inland from Coffs Harbour - in a helicopter.
Rescue crews from the Westpac Rescue helicopter were unable to winch a person down to the crash site due to poor weather conditions. Source: Twitter/@WRHS_official

AMSA, which led the search, said the ground-level NSW Police effort to reach the plane would take "some time" as weather conditions remained poor and the terrain was steep and heavily wooded.

The light plane departed Murwillumbah in northern NSW at 6.30am on Friday and was scheduled to arrive in Taree at 8am.

AMSA was alerted on Friday morning by the pilot's associates concerned it hadn't reached its destination.

Its last known communications were about 7.30am.

Poor conditions also hampered search efforts on Friday afternoon.

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