An agricultural pilot was killed when his plane crashed in Papua New Guinea.

The incident happened while the single-engine aircraft was crop-dusting over a sugarcane plantation in Ramu on Wednesday, April 23.

Authorities confirmed that the Filipino pilot, Paul Alexander, had been operating the aircraft for the past two weeks as part of crop-spraying activities.

Eyewitnesses reported that the single-engine plane went down at around 9 am, with only the pilot on board.

Paramedics said the captain had inhaled a significant amount of fumes during the crash, which contributed to the decline in his condition.

An incident report from the Aviation Safety Network stated: 'A Cessna T188C AGhusky was spraying sugar cane and crashed under unknown circumstances in Sangkiang, Ramu. The forward section of the aircraft was destroyed by fire, the pilot survived the accident but died on the way to the hospital.'

The plane was reportedly operated by Liddles Aerial Spraying Pty Ltd.

Officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.