A small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from an eastern Arizona airport Wednesday morning, killing two people on board.

A Federal Aviation Administration official said the plane had taken off from the Springerville Airport just before 10:30 a.m.

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©Judy Hayes
A small plane crashed, killing 2 near Springerville.


The single-engine Piper Cherokee crashed and burned in an empty field about three miles south of the airport, according to the official.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said there is no control tower at the airport and the pilot wasn't talking to air traffic controllers. The FAA wasn't aware of a flight plan being filed.

There is no word on the cause of the accident.

This is the second crash of a small plane in eastern Arizona this week. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.