KEY POINTS:
Two people have died after a light plane crashed into Northland's Kaipara Harbour this morning.
Emergency services at the crash scene near Pouto Point, about 70km south of Dargaville, pulled the wreckage of the plane from the harbour just before 11am today.
"We can confirm two bodies have been located in the wreckage of the plane," Fire Service northern communications spokesman Jaron Phillips said.
Coastguard, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and several fire crews were sent to the scene after somebody in the area reported seeing the plane crash into the harbour.
The helicopter arrived at the scene just before 10am and found some of the wreckage washed on shore. The rest of the plane wreckage was found shortly afterwards.
Police said later that the light plane crashed into the sea about 100m offshore and rescuers were attempting to bring the wreckage ashore.
Civil Aviation crash investigators were in attendance.
The Rescue Co-ordination Centre told National Radio that the plane took off from a beach at Kaipara Harbour.
A witness saw the plane climb to about 250m before peeling off and crashing into the sea.
- NZPA
