CANBERRA, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Two people died in a light plane crash near Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) on Monday afternoon.
The Cessna 210 aircraft went down near Howard Springs, 25 km north-east of Darwin at around 1:30 p.m. local time, instantly killing both people on-board.
Air Frontier, one of the NT's largest aircraft charter companies, was the owner and operator of the plane.
The wreckage of the craft was strewn 200 meters across a local road with the wings on one side and the main body of the plane on the other.
"Two bodies have been located inside the fuselage proper on the northern side (of the road)," Anthony Deutrom, NT Police Superintendent, told reporters near the crash site.
"Police will maintain crime scene on both of the sites until at least tomorrow afternoon.
"Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) are departing from Canberra tomorrow morning and they'll be here around midday.
"NT Police will conduct an investigation on behalf of the coroner. There will also be a joint investigation with the ATSB in relation to the crash of the aircraft."
Police have identified the bodies involved in the crash and are contacting the next of kin before they provide details to the public.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the two deceased persons."
