One dead in light plane crash

UPDATE - One person is dead and two are seriously injured after a plane crashed off the Far North coast today.

The pilot and a passenger were found alive on the beach after the Cessna 172 hit surf about 200m off the coast of Cable Bay beach at about 2.45pm.  

A second passenger was stuck inside the plane and died at the scene, Northern Communications Centre shift commander, Inspector Darroch Todd, said in a statement. 

The Paihia-based Salt Air plane was taking the passengers, a man and a woman, on a scenic flight, the company's owner Grant Harnish told NZPA.

He said he did not know what had caused the crash.

"We're still waiting to get details ourselves," he said.

"No one's going to know anything about it until we talk to the pilot and at the moment I don't think that's appropriate.

"He's on his way to hospital ... and once we get past that point then we'll know a little more as to what went on.

"But there's a long way to go before we start trying to get to the bottom of it. The most important thing is that everyone's taken care of."

Northland regional fire chief Trevor Andrews said he understood the male passenger had died and that the couple was from Sweden.

Salt Air was a "good operator", which had not had a crash before.

The plane may have been making the return leg to Paihia from a tour to North Cape when it crashed, Mr Andrews said.

The plane crashed opposite the Cable Bay Store, a woman from the shop told NZPA.

"I heard it. I was watching the plane going up and down. I knew there was something wrong," said the woman, who declined to be named.

A body, believed to be of a passenger, was retrieved from the wreckage and the two survivors were being attended by ambulance staff before being flown to hospital, Mr Barbara told NZPA.

The condition of the survivors was not known but they were thought to have suffered serious injuries.

A makeshift landing pad was being set up for the rescue helicopter, which was having trouble landing in low cloud this afternoon.

Fishing and recreational boats were helping police and fire crews and locals retrieve the survivors and wreckage from the scene.

The woman said it was raining hard while she had been in the sea helping locals and emergency services staff.

"We've been dragging people out of the water. I'm freezing now."

Dozens of rubbernecking holiday makers had arrived since the crash to watch the rescue operation, she said.

Civil Aviation spokesman Bill Sommer said the Transport Accident Investigation Commission was investigating the crash, he told NZPA.

The first fire engine arrived from Mangonui at 3.01pm, about 10 minutes after the service was alerted to the crash, Mr Barbara said.

Two fire engines came from Mangonui and one from Kaitaia were at the scene, he said.

- NZPA