Search crews find oil slick where Tasmanian light plane crashed

An aerial search will resume at daybreak for a light plane which has crashed into southeast Tasmanian waters near the route taken by Sydney to Hobart race yachts.

The Cessna, carrying a pilot and one passenger, is believed to have been tasked to film the yachts as they sailed past the Tasman Peninsula.

Search crews, including up to nine yachts which abandoned the race, found an oil slick in the crash zone late on Monday but are yet to locate survivors.

Two helicopters will continue the search on Tuesday morning.