Family members of the eight people killed when the Southern Cloud crashed in 1931 and the man who found the wreckage 27 years later, will be guests of honour at the 95th anniversary event to mark the Southern Cloud’s disappearance in the Snowy Mountains.

On 21 March, 1931, the Avro 618 Ten aircraft, named the Southern Cloud, left Sydney for Melbourne. The aircraft encountered severe weather conditions when flying over the Snowy Mountains before crashing near Deep Creek Dam.

To mark 95 years since Australia’s first major civil airline disaster, a busy wekeend is planned. The Cooma Lions Club and Snowy Hydro have secured a visit from the Southern Cloud’s sister plane, the Southern Cross.

The Southern Cross replica plane will make a commemorative flight from its Albion Park base to Cooma airport on the morning of Saturday, 21 March. The aircraft is expected to complete a number of fly-overs of Cooma before landing at the airport.

Locals will have the chance to watch the fly-over and be at the airport for the plane’s landing.

A remembrance service will take place at the Southern Cloud Memorial to honour the six passengers and two crew members who died in the crash.

Tom Sonter, who discovered the Southern Cloud’s wreckage in 1958, will be a guest of honour at the anniversary weekend.

Mr Sonter, a worker on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, found the wreckage when hiking in heavily timbered terrain, about 25 kilometres east from the flight path.

Cooma Lion and chief organiser of the weekend, Chris Reeks, said a busy two-days is planned to mark the 95th anniversary. He said it will be a special moment to have Mr Sonter coming back to Cooma.

“We are looking forward to having the Southern Cross replica fly into Cooma. It doesn’t make many flights and we are really proud to have it coming to Cooma,” Mr Reeks said.

“There will be a number of opportunities for locals to be involved in the anniversary weekend, from the fly-over, memorial service and dinner on the Saturday, it’s important we show our respects.

“We are pleased Tom can join us. He has an incredible story to tell about finding the plane.”

While times are being finalised, the anniversary weekend will see the Southern Cross land on Saturday, 21 March before the remembrance service at the Southern Cloud Memorial on Sharp Street, a wreath laying service at the Cooma Cemetery where there is a headstone for those who died and then dinner at the Cooma Car Club.

The Southern Cloud Memorial was constructed in 1962 at the Aviation Pioneers Memorial in Cooma.

The Cooma memorial features concrete wings spanning 40 feet that rise from a triangular base, with a grill enclosing recovered engine parts and relics from the wreck.

On Sunday, a private tour to the wreckage site will occur for the families of the deceased and Mr Sonter.

The weekend’s events are sponsored by Snowy Hydro.