An ultralight aircraft has crashed off North Stradbroke Island, killing one person, with fears that other people on board haven't survived as search continues.
Emergency services are searching for survivors with helicopters just after a distress beacon was detected at 11:20 am Saturday.
UPDATES:
In an updated statement, Queensland Police Service said the plane had only one person on board who was found dead, according to initial information, when it crashed into the sea within three kilometres of the Surf Lifesaving Club on North Stradbroke Island.
An exclusion zone has been set up encompassing George Northling Drive and The Causeway.
There is no further information available at this time what caused the crash.
The weather factor is unlikely to have played a role due to a sunny blue sky with good visibility in the area today.
Images from Channel 7 and 9 helicopter showed aircraft wreckage washed off the shore.
There had been earlier speculation the plane was a six-seater. Single-engine Cessna 206 and 210 six-seater aircraft are widely used for training and recreation flights in Australia.
However, Queensland Police Service called the crashed plane "an ultralight aircraft", and ultralight (called microlight overseas) is defined by the Australian Ultralight Federation as a lightweight, 1 or 2 seat (maximum of two occupants, including the pilot) fixed-wing plane.
The most used ultralight-category aircraft in the country is Australian made Jabiru.
One person killed in light plane crash off Stradbroke. Rescuers still searching for survivors @7NewsBrisbane #7NewsQ pic.twitter.com/arPRwpRVbc
— michelle rattray (@MichelleRattray) May 9, 2015
