A young, “passionate and courageous” pilot is being remembered by loved ones following a light plane crash off the Northern Territory coast.

The search for the wreckage entered its fourth day on Friday after the crash near Isle Woodah, about 50km northwest of Alyangula.

The alarm was raised about 11.40am on Tuesday when a witness on board a vessel in the area reported the aircraft had crashed into the water near Isle Woodah.

Bob Bramley, 23, is understood to have been the one pilot on board, and while his body is yet to be found, authorities believe he died in the crash.

“Our beloved Bob is gone,” Mr Bramley’s family said.

“Bob was a beacon of hope for our family, friends and community. We cannot comprehend this great loss in our lives. We are shocked, we are heartbroken, but we remember the ideals Bob championed.

“We celebrate a life lived to the fullest. There will never be another Bob Bramley.”

Mr Bramley is being remembered for his courage after becoming a passionate suicide advocate at just 16.

Coining a mission to raise awareness for youth suicide “Surviving Turbulence”, Mr Bramley became the youngest person to circumnavigate Australia solo by plane.

In 2019, he completed the 15,000km journey around the country and raised more than $20,000 for Beyond Blue.

Search for wreckage

Meanwhile, NT Police Acting Sergeant Nathan Conelius said the focus remained on locating and documenting significant aircraft wreckage and any other evidence that may assist investigators.

“The decision to scale back aerial searching follows three days of extensive operations and expert advice that the likelihood of locating the pilot through continued broad-area surface and aerial searching is now extremely low,” he said.

“Police will continue to assess the operation following today’s dive activities, with search and recovery efforts expected to be suspended following completion of the day four taskings, subject to the results of today’s operations.

“Police continue to liaise closely with the pilot’s family and are keeping them informed of developments and the ongoing search effort.

“Our thoughts remain with the pilot’s family and loved ones during what continues to be an incredibly difficult time.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, charter company Air Frontier confirmed one of its Beechcraft Baron aircraft “was involved in an accident near Numbulwar” about midday.

“The aircraft was undertaking a non-commercial repositioning flight with no passengers from Gove to Numbulwar, with the pilot believed to be the sole occupant on board,” Air Frontier said in a statement.

The company also confirmed all of its Beechcraft Baron aircraft had been grounded “as a precautionary measure”, pending advice from relevant authorities.