Ouanaham airport on Lifou, New Caledonia Photo: Google maps
Four people have died in a plane crash in New Caledonia in the early hours of Saturday.
The four-seater single-engine Mooney M20F plane crashed next to a house in the settlement of Hnathalo shortly after taking off from the airport on the island of Lifou.
Police said three of the victims were employees of the Civil Aviation Authority.
The fourth has been identified as one of their friends.
Police said mystery surrounds the flight because there is no record of any flight plan or destination.
Because of the accident, regular flights from Noumea to Lifou were rescheduled.
Two air accident investigators from France are on their way to the site and should arrive on Monday.