UPDATE 1.30PM: The small plane found by a Sanford fishing trawler in the Hauraki Gulf this morning is reported to likely be the missing aerobatic biplane of Auckland man Daroish Kraidy.

Police this morning confirmed the maritime unit was on the way to Great Barrier Island to investigate the discovery of the plane with a body inside, brought up in the trawler and reported to police at 11.10am.

A Sanford trawler has hauled up a light plane off the coast of Great Barrier.

The blue light missing home-built biplane.

A Sanford spokesperson could not confirm if the trawler was one of Tauranga's fleet or provide any further details at this time.

Police said the fishing trawler was working off the coast of the island when it hauled up a light plane in one of its nets.

Fishermen onboard the trawler have reported a body is in the wreckage of the plane, which is being transported to a bay near the island.

"There it will be met by the Police Maritime Unit staff onboard Police launch Deodar, assisted by Harbourmaster staff on a barge which has specialist lifting equipment to recover the aircraft and its contents," says a statement from police.

In the event it is the missing bi-plane of 53-year-old Dariosh Kraidy that disappeared after taking off from Ardmore in March, police are contacting his family.

The plane It was heading in a north-easterly direction when it disappeared from radar on March 25.

Extensive searches were conducted of the Coromandel peninsula, Thames and surrounding Hauraki Gulf, including an RNZAF Iroquois helicopter search of the eastern side of Coromandel Peninsula, but nothing was found.

No distress beacon was ever activated and searches were called off a week later.

Maritime NZ RCCC media adviser Steve Rendle says police have advised a plane has been found, but it has not been identified to them.

The Civil Aviation Authority and the New Zealand Rescue Centre have since also been notified.

Police expect to be at Great Barrier Island by about 4pm today.