Two men died when a light plane crashed near the Gold Coast early Tuesday, setting off a large bushfire. The single-engine plane went down close to Heck Field, a private airstrip north of the Gold Coast, shortly after takeoff around 6am. The pilot, a 73-year-old man from Beenleigh, Queensland, and a male passenger believed to be from Sydney were the only people on board. Police said both could not survive the crash. The wreckage caught fire on impact, sparking flames about 500 metres from the airstrip. A large plume of smoke was visible kilometres away. Around 50 emergency workers were on site, including water bombers to help control the fire burning cane fields and bushland. The crash site was hard to reach due to farmland and a nearby creek. State Emergency Service teams helped ferry equipment across the creek. Police said it was too early to say what caused the crash. They are investigating the pilot's flight history and the planned journey, which was headed to a town near Tamworth, New South Wales. Supt Brett Jackson said, "We are aware the planned flight was to a small town just outside Tamworth, so we have that information. As to the intention behind the trip, I don’t actually have that information; that will form part of the investigation."