Three people have died after a light plane crashed and caught fire south of Wollongong on Saturday morning.

The plane crashed at about 10am at Shellharbour Airport shortly after taking off, NSW Police said in a statement. Upon hitting the ground, the plane caught fire.

According to witnesses, the plane climbed to about 30 metres before it dipped and its left wing struck the tarmac.

Photos from the scene show fire trucks on the runway dousing blackened debris with water, and ambulance and police crews nearby. The plane, believed to be heading for Bathurst, appeared to be virtually destroyed, with the tail the only part of the plane not burnt out.

Lake Illawarra police district’s chief inspector Aaron Wunderlich described it as “quite a gruesome scene”.

“It’s obviously a very tragic inc

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