A dairy business founder and his daughter have been identified as the victims of a “confronting” light plane crash south of Brisbane on Monday.

Ian Campbell, 56, from Ascot, was the founder of dairy brand Barambah Organics.

His daughter Hannah, 23, was a “bright young woman with her whole life in front of her.”

Ian started the successful business with wife Jane in the rural town of Murgon in 2002 after he converted his fourth-generation family farm.

Ian Campbell and his daughter Hannah who was only 23. Photo: Supplied

In 2020, the couple sold a majority stake in their award-winning dairy company to Tamara Capital in a $50 million deal.

The couple continued to own a stake in the business and manage parts of its operations.

Barambah’s yoghurt, cheese, milk and cream are sold in 1400 stores across the country and last year won gold and silver at the Dairy Industry Association of Australia competition.

The family also ran Manana Pastoral in the Goondiwindi region, producing olive oil, lamb and beef.

The pair’s plane, a Beech Bonanza, plunged into a Stockleigh property barely 10 minutes after taking off from Archerfield Airport on Monday morning.

Goondiwindi mayor Lawrence Springborg said the family had the support, prayers and goodwill of the community, and the pair would be greatly missed.

“We feel their grief deeply and what makes it also so hard is that the Campbell family were so generous in their support of the local community,” he told the ABC.

The Campbell family had raised more than $70,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and invested in agriculture, Springborg noted.

National Farmers’ Federation president Hamish McIntyre said the loss of the father and daughter was an “absolutely heartbreaking tragedy”.

Campbell was a highly respected figure in Australian agriculture and a long-time friend, he said.

“Hannah was a bright young woman with her whole life in front of her.”

McIntyre said his thoughts were with the family, their many friends and everyone touched by “this devastating loss”.

The plane crashed not long after take-off.

Chief Superintendent Mel Adams said authorities were working to determine what caused the crash.

“As to what happened whilst that aircraft was in the air, we have no information at this time,” Adams said.

“It was a very confronting scene, as you can imagine.”

Initial investigations indicated the plane took off at 10.57am, police said.

About 11.10am, emergency services were called to the property following reports of a plane crash and grass fire.

Crews arrived and found plane debris scattered on the property and flames racing across an area about 300m by 400m, authorities said.

Emergency services located two occupants of the aircraft – a 56-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, both from Ascot. They were declared dead at the scene.

Ian Campbell in a social media post from 2020 discussing grass for the cattle. Photo: Facebook (Barambah Organics)

Multiple crews worked to quickly contain the blaze, which burned close to a farmhouse before being brought under control.

No homes were damaged.

Police held a press conference on Monday afternoon and initially did not comment on the plane’s occupants, saying next of kin notification was still underway.

A safety cordon remained in place at the site late on Monday, with police working closely with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The bureau said it had begun an investigation with a three-strong team specialising in aircraft operations, maintenance and engineering sent to the site.

They were gathering evidence and examining the site and wreckage, recovering aircraft components for further examination at the bureau’s technical facilities in Canberra.

“Investigators will also interview any witnesses and involved parties, and collect relevant recorded information including flight tracking data, as well as pilot and aircraft maintenance records, and weather information,” the bureau said in a statement.

A preliminary report on the crash was set to be published in about eight weeks.

Anyone with vision of the crash or who saw the aircraft in the lead-up to the tragedy was being urged to contact police.

-with AAP