Plane crashes in Casa Grande, 2 dead

Federal authorities said a plane crashed late Wednesday morning while landing in Casa Grande.

Federal Aviation Administration officials say the twin-engine turbo prop went
down at 11:35 a.m. Wednesday as it was landing and the craft was destroyed by
fire.

The small private plane was completely destroyed. A Casa Grande fire official said the plane burst into flames on impact and both occupants were killed.

Television footage shows charred wreckage in a desert area north of an airport
runway.

“[There was a] heavy amount of smoke, black smoke,” said Aldo Vargas, who works in a building across the runway.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says the cause of the crash is unclear. He says an FAA
investigator is en route to the scene.

Casa Grande police and fire department officials didn’t immediately release the
names of the two killed. The plane is owned by a Tucson company, but will not be named being held pending notification of next of kin.

Authorities have closed the airport until the wreckage is cleared.

KTAR’s Sandra Haros and the Associated Press contributed to this report.