An Australian husband and wife have died, along with their 12-year-old daughter, in a light plane crash off the Florida coast.
Police in Venice, Florida, confirmed on Wednesday (AEDT) that pilot Christian Kath, 42, his wife Misty Kath, 43, and their daughter Lily, 12, had all died in the Gulf of Mexico crash.
The family is survived by a second daughter, aged 10.
The Kaths had been living in St Petersburg, Florida, but hailed from Gympie in Queensland.
Venice police said at the weekend that wreckage of the rented single-engine Piper Cherokee had been found where it crashed into the ocean, less than 600 metres from the Venice Municipal Airport, after it was reported missing.
On Monday (local time), Police Chief Charlie Thorpe said recreational boaters had found the body of a woman floating about four kilometres west of the Venice shore.
A young girl’s body was found in the wreckage of the aircraft.
It is understood the pilot was Christian Kath. He remains missing but local authorities believe he also died in the crash.
“After consultation with the Coast Guard, the search area for the missing pilot in the Gulf has been expanded area-wise, but assets have been scaled back,” the city said on Twitter.
“Boaters from Sarasota Bay south to Gasparilla should be aware of the possibility of a body or small aircraft debris floating.”
Mr Thorpe said the Kaths had planned a dinner in Venice before returning home to St Petersburg. He said it was not yet clear what had caused the crash, and there had been no mayday call from the plane.
He said Venice Police were still in discussions with the Kaths’ extended family.
Mr Kath recently posted on Facebook that he was learning how to fly solo, completing his first trip on March 22.
“Thanks for putting up with my early morning lessons and late night studying Misty Kath; it will all feel worth while when we can fly to the Keys for a weekend away,” he wrote.
“Feel lucky to live and be learning to fly in such a beautiful part of the world!”
Mr Kath had been chief operations officer at Daniels Health, a medical waste company in St Petersburg, since December 2018.
He was previously a production manager at Kenilworth Country Foods, then at the Superbee Honey Factory before moving to Brisbane about 10 years ago.
