Grant Burley, aged 51, and his female passenger, aged 50, were killed just after 4pm on Saturday when their Cessna 310 crashed into bushland near the Pacific Highway.

Mr Burley was flying the plane from Toowoomba in Queensland to his rural property.

The Port Macquarie Miniature Aircraft Club posted a tribute to Mr Burley on Facebook.

"It is with an unbearably heavy heart that I announce the passing of our great friend and benefactor Mr Grant Burley."

"Our most profound condolences go out to his family on this saddest of occasions," they wrote.

Mr Burley's family also remembered him as an exceptional pilot who was loved by many.

"All I can say is may he fly high above us all as an angel," his nephew Lucas Young said.

Mr Burley co-founded Sydney based firm, Burley White & co, and the company's website describes his years of experience working in the financial services sector.

He also "resided on Insurance Advisory boards to NSW and QLD Governments and was a key advisor to Australian and New Zealand Governments in relation to Anti Money Laundering legislation".

The company profile describes him as a passionate pilot who "ferried many aircraft and crossed all major oceans often solo in single engine aircraft".

On Saturday evening The Australian Transportation Safety Bureau said a team of three Transport Safety Investigators travelled to the site to begin inquiring into the cause of the crash.

"The investigators will examine the wreckage, gather any available recorded data and interview witnesses," they wrote in a Facebook post.

The investigation will continue on Monday, with a preliminary investigation report expected to be realised in about 30 days, while a final report may take up to a year.

with Port Macquarie News