'Lucky to be alive': Tourists' incredible escape after plane flips while landing on Great Barrier Reef island
Nine tourists and a pilot on board a plane that flipped and crashed trying to land on an ultra-exclusive island resort in the far north Great Barrier Reef are "lucky to be alive".
The light plane was carrying 10 people, including a teenager, when it crash landed on Lizard Island, situated about 1600 kilometres north-west of Brisbane.
The flight bound for Cairns took off about 7.30am but it's thought there was a mechanical malfunction and it came back to land on the island, clipping trees on the way.
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The plane, upside down and badly mangled, crashed trying to land on Lizard Island. 9News
Four of the 10 passengers had to be flown to Cairns Hospital for treatment. 9News
Queensland Ambulance operations sent two rescue helicopters to the island just after 7.30am and four passengers were flown back to Cairns Hospital for treatment.
All of them were assessed, with some able to walk into hospital themselves.
Royal Flying Doctor Service nurse Stephanie Beatty said it was remarkable everyone came out of the crash relatively unharmed.
"Minor injuries, minor head injury and a fractured arm, otherwise most shaken but okay.
"I think the people are very lucky to be alive," she added.
A photograph obtained by 9News showed the single propeller plane upside down in low brush and sand, with the fuselage shredded and pieces of debris nearby.
"The pilot's clearly done an incredible job," Brina Keating from Queensland Ambulance said.
"To walk away from something like that is just incredible.
The badly mangled plane, with its propellers busted off, was cordoned off by emergency tape.
Flights to Lizard Island, which is about 10 square kilometres in size, usually take off from Cairns and take one hour.
A forensic crash unit is investigating and will establish how the crash happened.
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Guests are flown to Lizard Island Resort. Nine / Supplied
On its website, Lizard Island Resort is described as the most northern resort on the reef, surrounded by "powdery white beaches" and 1000 hectares of national park.
The secluded resort, which has 41 rooms and villas, pitches itself as a popular spot for weddings.
An ocean-view villa for two costs at least $3000 per night, according to the website.
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