Witnesses say a hang-glider who died when he crashed into the front of a house opposite a Newcastle beach on Sunday afternoon had been undertaking advanced aerobatics in the moments before the crash.

The man, 46, was killed instantly when he crashed into the front of a house at Bar Beach about 3pm, after earlier clipping powerlines.

Emergency crews at the scene of a hang-gliding accident in Newcastle. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers

Friends of the man described him as an experienced pilot.

One witness was filming the man as he performed the manoeuvres and captured the subsequent crash. The footage has been handed over to police.