The experienced amateur pilot from Yandina, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, had been missing since he took off from Gympie airport on Saturday morning, bound for a birthday party in central Queensland.

But the 60-year-old never arrived at the party.

His self-built Jabiru twin-seater plane smashed into a mountain plane just 40 kilometres west of Gympie, far away from his planned destination of Dixalea, west of Gladstone.

A farmer discovered the wreckage on Monday morning and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, responsible for coordinating the search, confirmed it was Mr Pavan's planes on Monday afternoon.

Several planes and more than a dozen helicopters had been searching for the plane since its pilot was reported missing on Saturday night.

On Monday, ​AMSA said the light aircraft crashed into a mountain plateau at high speed and Mr Pavan could not have survived.

Authorities had suspended the search for Mr Pavan's body overnight and resumed on Tuesday morning.

Police discovered his body on Tuesday afternoon near Woolooga.

*/ ]]>

Mr Pavan's brother-in-law, Stephen Kidd, had described him as a "very experienced pilot with high respect from his flying fraternity" and had built as many as 12 planes.

"I've flown with Rob a number of times and he's a very competent pilot," Mr Kidd said.

"I would trust him with my life as I have on a number of trips.

"He always takes a high degree of caution and he's a very organised person in everything he does in his life. He's not prone to any silly actions at all.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see but there must have been mechanical problems or a health issue that resulted in this tragedy."

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Stay informed. Like the Brisbane Times Facebook page.