The small plane crashed shortly after takeoff near Highway 360 and Mayfield Road in Texas on Monday, after struggling in the sky for a while, the Grand Prairie Fire Department stated on Twitter.
The local TV channel reported that the plane was "clearly struggling", according to eyewitnesses, hitting a telephone pole and then the back of a passing truck, after which it caught on fire before landing near a Sonic restaurant by the road. It is not yet known what specific type the crashed aircraft was.
The pilot was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene, though the exact number of passengers inside the aircraft remains unknown. The fire department has asked drivers to avoid the area of the plane crash.
Videos and photos have begun to appear on social media showing the results of the plane crash and the work of the emergency crews on site.
A witness to the crash took to Twitter, describing the incident as it happened.