A light plane crashed into mangroves off the Queensland coast on Sunday morning, killing two men and two children. The cause of the four-seater plane’s crash immediately after it took off from Redcliffe airfield, north east of Brisbane, around 9 am, is being investigated.  

At around 12 pm, four bodies were discovered from the plane, including that of the 69-year-old male pilot. 

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The crash also claimed the lives of another man and two children who were not yet in their teens. Their identities have not yet been confirmed by police, but they are not believed to be connected to the pilot.

Members of the pilot’s family were at the Redcliffe airport at the time of the disaster, according to Queensland Police Inspector Craig White.

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“I understand it was a bit of a family day,” he told media on Sunday. “The family are deeply traumatised as you’d expect.”

The families found out what had happened when the plane did not return and they read posts on social media, according to White.

“This is a tragic accident,” he said. “It’s the lead up to Christmas and this is the last thing that any family need to go through at this time of the year, at any time.”

According to The Guardian, the flight was a “joy flight” that appeared to have been scheduled. 

As water police and forensic divers worked at the scene, the plane was observed floating upside down in the wake of the disaster. 

Chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Angus Mitchell, said a “very experienced team” was working to figure out what caused the disaster. 

Early reports claimed the plane crashed shortly after takeoff, but he told reporters that air traffic control had not to confirm the plane’s actions.

“We will of course get any evidence we can from the actual plane itself but equally from other sources such as air traffic control and witnesses,” he said.

He urged any witnesses or anybody with information to contact Queensland Police or the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. 

Mitchell said the ATSB was working to collect the wreckage, but it was difficult to bring a barge in since the tide had gone out.

“My understanding at the moment is it’s really ankle deep water … because the tide is going out,” he said.

“It was slightly deeper at the time of the accident.”

Police and divers were confronted with a difficult scenario, Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll said earlier on Sunday.

“The plane is in a very, very difficult situation, difficult position in the wetland area, and we have currently got police and divers travelling to that area, and that’s all I can say at this stage.”