Pilot dies but passenger survives light plane crash in northern NSW

A man has died and another has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after their light plane crashed.

Emergency crews, including several ambulances and a rescue helicopter, were called to Palmers Island, about 8km west of Yamba, in the NSW northern rivers on Sunday following reports of a crash.

The pilot of the recreational plane, believed to be a man in his 60s, died at the scene, police said.

His passenger, a man in his 30s, was treated for head, spinal and arm injuries before being airlifted to Gold Coast University hospital in a serious but stable condition, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said.

Police remained at the site and secured the crime scene as their investigations continued.