A glow of fire emerges behind trees on a dark and rainy night

Local resident Luke Arsom saw the glow from flames on Friday night and called emergency services. (Supplied: Luke Arsom)

Police have recovered the body of a pilot from a croc-infested marsh in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria after his plane crashed on Friday night.

The Machjet International charter aircraft crashed about 800 metres north-west of Normanton Airport just after 8pm.

A 32-year-old male pilot from Clifton Beach, in Cairns, was the only person on board the Beechcraft King Air B200.

It took police until Sunday to recover the man’s body due to the difficult terrain where the plane crashed.

Police officers carrying rifles guarded their colleagues who recovered the body.

The crash site was in a croc-infested marsh area which was knee-deep in water.

The Norman River at Normanton is experiencing minor flooding following a peak on Thursday.

A Queensland Police spokesman said the challenging conditions hindered initial access to the scene and prevented access by vehicle or boat.

Officers reached the crash site on foot on Sunday morning where they recovered and identified the pilot.

The crash started a small grass fire which knocked out power for local residents.

The region has been surrounded by floodwaters since December and storm activity was reported around Normanton on Friday night.

Aircraft company offers condolences

Ben Clarke (left) paid tribute to pilot Leo Howard (right) who tragically died in a crash near Goolwa on February 7. Picture: Instagram/bingeclarke

Machjet International confirmed the company was working with authorities.

In a statement, managing director Simon McDermott said his thoughts were with the pilot’s family, friends and loved ones.

“We are providing support to our team members affected by this incident,” he said.

Machjet International is part of McDermott Aviation Group, which is Australia’s largest privately owned aviation company and headquartered on the Sunshine Coast.

Local resident Luke Arsom operates a motel and caravan park near the northern end of the runway at Normanton Airport.

Mr Arsom said he saw the orange glow of flames while driving and contacted emergency services.

He said police arrived quickly to the crash but were faced with a challenging landscape and heavy rain.

“The area is really bushy and hard to get to,” he said.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has opened a probe into the accident, with investigators to visit the site in coming days.

Anyone who saw or heard the crash, or who has video footage of the aircraft at any stage of its flight, should contact the ATSB.

Normanton is an outback town that sits in a flood zone near the Gulf of Carpentaria, with a population of about 1,300 people.

Like neighbouring towns Burketown and Karumba, Normanton is routinely isolated for months at a time due to flooding.