60-year-old James Marsden confirmed as victim of Queensland light plane crash

A 60-year-old pilot has died after the plane he was flying crashed into the ocean off the Queensland coast.

Emergency helicopters hovered over waters near North Stradbroke Island at around 11am (AEST) after the light plane went down just 100 metres off the beach.

The pilot, James Marsden, had taken off from a nearby airstrip. 

Jet skies entered the water to assist the man, however it was too late.

Authorities continued to retrieve wreckage from the plane well into the afternoon.

Investigators will now begin to determine how the aircraft went down.