James Wong, 34, and two foreign tourists — a 65-year-old Swiss woman and a 60-year-old Danish man, who were both on holiday with their respective partners — died when the Cessna 208 Caravan plunged nose-first into the water near Thomson Bay at Rottnest Island about 4pm.

The pilot of a seaplane that plunged into the ocean off Rottnest Island shortly after take off, killing three people, is identified as James Wong.

A light aircraft crashed near Rottnest Island off the Western Australian city of Perth killing two tourists from Switzerland and Denmark and the pilot, authorities said on Wednesday.