Details surrounding the exact cause of the accident remain unclear, but Acting Inspector Kevin Goan confirmed the man, a married father, had family and friends on the ground when the tragedy occurred.

"It is tragic circumstances. (Family are) Devastated. It's a tragic event, the loss of a man's life and the destruction of a family unit,” A/Insp Goan said today.

"Indications are (the aircraft) was preparing to take off. It certainly traversed the airstrip and come to grief at the opposing end of where it originated.”

Personnel from the Queensland ambulance service spent an hour trying to revive the man before he succumbed to his injuries.

Police are appealing for witnesses in the Port Douglas and Mossman area who saw the incident to come forward.

A joint investigation has been launched involving the Forensic Crash Unit, Recreational Aviation Australia and the Australian Transport Bureau to establish the cause of the accident.

The Paddy’s airstrip, 2km north of Port Douglas, remains closed. A/Insp Goan could not confirm if the man was an experienced pilot.

Join the conversation

Thumb up or thumb down or place a comment below.

* Readers are encouraged to use their full details below to ensure comment legitimacy. Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport or its staff. Comments containing unlawful, obscene, defamatory, personal or abusive material will not be published.