Multiple deaths reported after small aircraft crashes in North Carolina

Multiple people are reported to have died in a plane crash while the aircraft was landing at a regional airport in North Carolina, officials say.

“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell told The Associated Press, though he declined to say how many.

The plane crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 local time (15:15GMT) on Thursday. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, airport authorities posted on social media.

Registration information for the plane – a Cessna C550 – suggests it is owned by a private company affiliated with Greg Biffle, a retired Nascar driver, WBTV, a CBS affiliate reported.

Statesville Airport director John Ferguson described the aircraft as a corporate jet and said that it was already engulfed in flames when he arrived on the scene.

The business jet took off around 10:06 local time and was in the air briefly before the crash.

It crashed on the east end of the runway and authorities do not yet have information on the cause of the crash.

Statesville Airport will remain closed until further notice as crews clear debris off the runway, Mr Ferguson told reporters.

Officials did not provide any information about deaths or people aboard the aircraft during the media conference.

The Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) is owned by the City of Statesville, which is about 45 minutes north of Charlotte.

It also provides aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several Nascar racing teams.