The victims included the fixed-wing plane's pilot and four tourists from Australia, Ireland, England and Germany, said Senior Sgt. Allyson Ealam of the Greymouth Police Department.

The crash occurred at 1:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. ET) about 200 km (124 miles) southwest of Fox Glacier Airport on New Zealand's South Island, she said.

Fox Glacier, with a population of roughly 375 people, sits within the Westland Tai Poutini National Park, on the west coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Authorities had secured the crash site and were investigating the crash Saturday afternoon, New Zealand Police spokesman Grant Ogilvie said.