Police have located a body at the scene of a helicopter crash in NSW after the aircraft vanished after taking off from the Gold Coast.
Officers received a report of the overdue helicopter just after 8pm on Friday after it left the Gold Coast earlier that morning bound for Mudgee and failed to arrive.
Following a search, police located the wreckage of the helicopter in dense bushland north of the Drake township on Saturday afternoon.
Around 24 hours later, police also located a body believed to be that of the 77-year-old pilot.
The man has yet to be formally identified and a recovery operation is underway.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Police say the aircraft involved was a Robinson R44 helicopter.
