A small plane carrying nine passengers, including Dutch tourists, crashed into the sea near the Caribbean island of Bonaire on Thursday, killing the pilot but sparing everyone else, Lt. Gov. Glenn Thode said.

The rescued passengers were being treated for minor injuries, he said.

Operated by Curacao-based Divi Divi Air, the plane was flying from Curacao to Bonaire when the pilot told the control tower that one of the two engines had stopped working, Thode said.

The pilot agreed to fly into Bonaire's Flamingo Airport, but about one mile (two kilometres) away, he reported the plane was losing altitude and he would have to make a ''controlled ditch,'' Thode said.

The passengers managed to escape the sinking aircraft, but officials believe the pilot was still strapped into his seat when the plane slid into waters reported to be 150 metres (490 feet) deep, the official said.

Thode said the Royal Netherlands Navy was helping search for the plane.

The airline's Web site says it operates four twin-engine aircraft, including three nine-seat Britten-Norman Islanders. A woman who answered the company's phone said executives were not immediately available for comment.

Bonaire, which along with Curacao is part of the Netherlands Antilles, lies about 50 miles (80 kilometres) off the coast of Venezuela.