Phoenix plane crash kills five as jet smashes into car outside Arizona airport

Five people were killed in the crash shortly after the plane took off from an Airport in Arizona on Tuesday afternoon - with flames and smoke billowing from the scene

Five people have died in a horror plane crash that saw a jet smash into a vehicle moments after it took off from a suburban airport in Arizona.

Police say the jet crashed while attempting to take off from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, a small city just east of Phoenix. The Honda HA-420 light business plane struck the vehicle outside the airport property at 4.40pm local time, shortly after taking off, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Police are yet to confirm the total number of people on board the aircraft or inside the vehicle. Bright orange flames and smoke were seen billowing from the site of the collision near Greenfield and McKellips road on Tuesday afternoon, with shocking videos broadcasted on US television news showing what appeared to be a large fire on a road near the airport.

Five people who were on board the plane were confirmed dead at the scene and have not yet been formally identified. Authorities didn't specify whether that number was referring to all passengers on board the plane, or if anyone in the vehicle may have been among the dead. The FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and Mesa authorities have launched an investigation, which is ongoing with no further information having been released since.

Mesa Fire and Medical Department's spokesperson Marrisa Ramirez-Ramos said: "Our community suffered a tragic loss this afternoon. We had a plane that took off from Falon Field Airport in Mesa and upon take off, it crashed into a single vehicle on Greenfield Road."

The Mesa Police department later took to X, formerly Twitter, to alert nearby residents of ongoing traffic in the area, with road closures in place for detectives to continue with their investigations. The force wrote: "We are working a plane crash at Greenfield and McKellips Road in Mesa. The entire area will be closed down for several hours."

It added: "Please look for an alternative route. Investigators will be working the scene throughout the night." The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, Mesa Fire and Medical, and the Mesa Police Department will be working together to get to the bottom of the crash.