AN EARLY morning joy flight ended in tragedy after two people were killed when a microlight aircraft crashed into Tuggerah Lake at Long Jetty this morning.

The male pilot, believed to be 64 and a female passenger, believed to be aged in her 70s, took off early Wednesday morning from a Somersby airstrip

Bbut what should have been a once in a lifetime experience took a tragic turn when the aircraft plummeted into the water just after 7.30am.



James Fearnley of The Entrance Boat Shed was first on the scene and said it looked like the aircraft had "come in hard".

"I spotted the parachute hoisting in the water ... from what I've heard and seen it looks like it appears that they have ditched very sharply," Mr Fearnley said.

"I just feel for the woman's family and the pilot's."

Robert Pryor of Long Jetty was an eyewitness to the crash and said he saw "something like a wheelcover" come off the plane.

"Next thing it banked to the right and made a weird noise. Within 15 seconds it hit the water and made a noise like a semi crashing," Mr Pryor said.

"I kept an eye on it and then immediately rang Triple 0."

Police officers commandeered a boat and quickly located the microlight and were joined by a surf lifesaver who paddled out on a board.

Police divers spent the morning examining the wreckage which was nose down and buried in silt about 800m offshore.

Staff from Somersby based company Microlight Adventures, including a chief pilot, spent the morning with police.

"A chief pilot from the company has been on site to give expert advice on the type of aircraft and any dangers associated with it," Tuggerah Lakes Sergeant Dan Skelly said.

When questioned about the pilot's links to the company all Sgt Skelly said was that "the Microlight industry is a tight knit community".

Friends comforted each other while police divers conducted the difficult search operation which was hampered by the murky water, with divers recovering two bodies just after 1.30pm.

The wreckage was bought ashore at Picnic Point just before 2.30pm and towed away on a tow truck for investigation.

Police said they believe the aircraft was conducting a joy flight when the tragedy occurred.

"From the information we have received its suggested it was a joy flight. We believe the pilot may have owned the aircraft," Sergeant Skelly said.

"The pilot was very experienced with more than 500 hours flying experience."