A search is under way for two people on-board a light aircraft that went missing off the coast of Queensland while flying to a holiday resort.

At 4.30pm, yesterday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority were made aware of a potential mayday incident involving a small plane, according to an AMSA statement issued to local media on Wednesday evening.

The plane was though to be on a course for Caloundra to a resort on the west coast of Moreton Island, off-shore of Redcliffe. Flight tracking data shows the plane circling at the northern tip of the island before losing track of the plane.

Queensland Water Police and rescue helicopters have been brought in to aid the search and are relying on the help of fishing vessels that were in the area at the time of the incident.

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The search area is estimated to be around 500 square kilometres on and around Moreton Island and the AMSA said they were encountering rough seas.

The news agency APP reported sighting of debris in the water southeast of Cape Moreton, but it was not clear if this was related to the missing aircraft.

The search was abandoned last night due to rough seas and thunder storms, however 9 News reported the search would resume today led from Redcliffe Coastguard.