An Australian man is missing and his wife and daughter were tragically killed after their light aircraft crashed into the water off the coast of Florida in the United States.
Christian Kath, 43, originally from Gympie, Queensland, piloted the Piper Cherokee plane with his wife Misty, 43, originally from Fiji, and their 12-year-old daughter Lilly in the passenger seats.
The couple had moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, a few years ago, where their youngest daughter and only other child, Harper, was staying at a friend’s house when the plane crashed.
Mr Kath shared a post on social media in March this year to celebrate his first solo flight, saying he was ‘half way through’ his private pilot license after taking flying lessons in December 2021.
Mr. and Mrs. Kath and their daughters Lilly (right) and Harper (center) had moved to the United States
Venice police said their search for Mr Kath is ongoing and have not hinted at the cause of the crash after the plane crashed off the Florida coast (pictured)
“Thanks for putting up with my early morning classes and studying Misty Kath late at night; it will all be worth it when we can fly to the Keys soon for a weekend getaway with Lily and Harper,” he wrote.
“Feel lucky to be alive and learning to fly in such a beautiful part of the world!”
The family chartered the plane from St. Petersburg and went on a short trip south to the nearby city of Venice for dinner, only to return when the plane crashed near Venice Beach.
Local police said Ms Kath’s body was found a few miles from the partially submerged wreckage, while Lilly was found on the plane.
Emergency services from Venice and Sarasota County are still looking for Mr. Kath.
After completing high school in Gympie, Mr. Kath moved to nearby Dagun, where he worked as an operations manager for local dairy and honey producers.
Mr. and Mrs. Kath (pictured) lived in Queensland before moving to Chicago and then to St. Petersburg, Florida
Mr Kath shared a photo with his daughters on Harper’s first day of school in 2018 (pictured)
Ms. Kath is from Fiji and moved to Australia where she studied at the University of Queensland.
Five years ago, the family moved to Chicago in the United States and then to Florida.
Authorities were alerted by the FAA, which reported that a single-engine plane took off from Venice Municipal Airport at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday but did not return to its original airport.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
‘It’s tragic. It’s a family. Those are the things anyone can choke on,” local resident Charlie Poch told Fox13 Tampa Bay.
The wreck was lifted from the water and sent to Jacksonville where it will be examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
Mr Kath began training for his private pilot license in December 2021
