Plane crashes near Melbourne golf course

A pilot has been injured after his light plane crashed near a Melbourne golf course, with aviation officials looking into what led to the short-lived flight.

The Piper PA-32 aircraft crashed close to the intersection of Old Dandenong Road and Clarinda Road at Heatherton, in the city's southeast, just after midday on Tuesday.

Shortly after take-off, the plane hit trees and landed on a grass field about 1km north of Moorabbin Airport.

Kingston Heath Golf Club and Capital Golf Course are directly adjacent to the suburban airport, which is Australia's second busiest averaging 295,000 aircraft movements per year.

The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, has been taken to the Alfred Hospital in a stable condition.

Ambulance Victoria said the man aged in his 50s suffered minor upper and lower body injuries.

Witnesses rushed to check on the pilot's welfare as the blue and white plane lay upside-down and missing one of its wings.

"He's moving but I tried to tell him not to move," said one man as he filmed the wrecked aircraft.

"Buddy, are you alright? We've got the ambulance and fire brigade coming now, mate."

A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesman said the plane was leaking fuel, with fire-retardant foam used to hose down the aircraft.

"It is also standard operating procedure of the fire services to protect against any flammable liquid which may have been spilled," he told AAP.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has deployed a team of Melbourne and Canberra-based investigators to determine the cause of the crash.

"On site, investigators will examine the aircraft wreckage and site surrounds, and seek to recover any relevant components for detailed examination in the ATSB's technical facilities," it said.

"The ATSB will also analyse available recorded data, review pilot and maintenance records, and interview involved parties."

Anyone who saw the aircraft in flight or has CCTV or dashcam footage of the crash is urged to contact the bureau's witness hotline.