Nine passengers and crew were killed on Friday evening when their plane crashed near an airfield in Hawaii, authorities said, during what broadcaster CNN said was a skydiving trip.
The twin-engine King Air plane went down near the Dillingham Airfield on Oahu island's North Shore, according to Hawaii's Department of Transport (HDOT).
Remnants of the wreckage near a fence that surrounds Dillingham Airfield. Source: AAP
The fire service said the aircraft was engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived and there appeared to be no survivors.
"We are still gathering information as to the intent of the flight and what they were doing," Honolulu Fire Department Chief Manuel Neves told a news conference.
CNN said the plane was on a skydiving excursion and that Federal Aviation Administration would investigate the crash.
Dillingham is a joint-use airfield operated by the HDOT under a 25-year lease from the US army, according to its website.
Honolulu Fire Department Chief Manuel P. Neves confirmed there were no survivors. He said the aircraft was a skydiving plane that crashed at 6.30pm on takeoff, according to local news channel Hawaii Now.
TV footage showed flames billowing into the air from the wreckage.
According to its website, the single-runway Dillingham Airport primarily serves commercial glider and skydiving operations.
Honolulu mayor Kirk Caldwell said in a tweet he was "closely following" developments, and that "our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims."
