Pilot killed in light plane crash near Mt Hotham A PILOT has died in a light plane crash near Mt Hotham in Victoria's northeast. Search and rescue crews found the single engine Cessna crashed into the side of a steep hill this morning after it went missing yesterday. A Channel 9 reporter at the scene said the rescue co-ordinator had confirmed it was the plane and that the pilot was deceased. He told 3AW radio other aircraft and crews involved in the search were heading back to their bases. The Cessna took off from Moruya on the far south coast of NSW at 8.15am on Wednesday. Carrying only the pilot, it was due to land at Mangalore Airport, north of Melbourne, at 11am but never arrived. Five aircraft searched for the plane yesterday without success. Earlier, Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokesman Sam Cardwell said an unconfirmed sighting, radar and mobile data had been used to narrow the search to an area west of Mt Hotham. Mr Cardwell said eight helicopters and two planes took off at 7am today and were scouring a corridor 20 nautical miles wide between Mt Hotham and Mangalore.