4 dead as small plane crashes in Idaho

BURLEY, Idaho?? Four people were killed after a small plane crashed and burst into flames in south-central Idaho on Sunday, officials said.

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The plane went down at around 2:20 p.m. southwest of the Burley airport's runway, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus said.

It remained unclear whether the plane was preparing to land or had just taken off, Fergus said.

He told The Associated Press that four people died in the crash, but he had no other information on them.

KMVT-TV quoted Burley city administrator Mark Mitton as saying that the four were all members of an Idaho family. No names have been released.

'Really dark, black smoke'
The Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho) reported that the fire ignited dry grass south of U.S. Highway 30.

"At first I just thought it was a grass fire," local resident Saint Woodbury told NBC Boise affiliate KTCB-TV.

"But it was kind of weird because it was really dark, black smoke coming from there. And as I got there closer, then I started to see part of a wing was actually laying on top of the railroad track. And that's when it actually dawned on me what was going on,? Woodbury told KTCB.

Burley firefighters responded to douse the flames.

The National Transportation Safety Board told KTCB that it could take a month or longer to determine the cause of the crash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44141507/ns/us_news-life/

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