Four people are dead after a light plane crashed shortly after taking off from an airport west of Sydney on Friday.

Police have confirmed four people on board a Piper Cherokee which was taking off from Bathurst Airport around 8.30pm (AEDT) today died after the plane crashed onto a rural property about five kilometres from the airport.

A police spokesman said all four bodies had been recovered from the wreckage.

He said debris was scattered for a quite a distance, indicating the plane crashed at speed.

“No one survived and all four bodies have been found,” the police spokesman said.