A small plane crashes near Las Vegas: 2 dead, 3 wounded

Two people were killed and three injured on Saturday night after the crash of a small private plane near a Nevada airport, investigators said.

Around 8:15 pm Saturday, the Sierra Beechcraft single-engined aircraft, carrying four people, crashed just after takeoff from the Henderson Airport Airport, located about 25 minutes from Las Vegas, told Fox News the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The accident occurred about 800 meters south of the airport, said an FAA spokesman, adding that the plane, built in 1977, caught fire after its crash.

One person died on the scene and another in a hospital, investigators said. They refused to disclose the names or age of the victims.

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Three people were hospitalized. Two remained in the hospital in serious condition on Sunday, Fox 5 announced in Las Vegas. The third person who had been hospitalized, apparently a good Samaritan, reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation.

The plane had a mechanical problem and turned back to try to land after its crash, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, quoting a Henderson spokeswoman.

The pilot reported to air traffic controllers that a door had opened about two minutes after takeoff, Fox 5 reported, citing air traffic control records. The station said the next communication was about seven minutes after takeoff, when another pilot had reported the accident.

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The propeller plane, which would have been registered at a flight school in southern California, was due to go to Gillespie Field airport in the suburbs of San Diego, officials said.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have investigated the cause of the accident.

The NTSB, the main investigative body, is expected to have an investigator on the scene Sunday, according to a statement sent to Fox News.

"The investigator will document the scene, examine the aircraft, request all air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports and try to contact witnesses," said NTSB spokesman , Keith Holloway. "In addition, the investigator will request aircraft maintenance records, as well as medical records and flight history of the pilot."

Holloway told Fox News that a preliminary report is expected to be available within the next two weeks, but that the exact cause of the accident will be unveiled once the investigation is completed, which could take up 39 to two years.

Less than 14 hours after the fatal crash was reported, officials said another small plane had landed hard at the Henderson Executive Airport.

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The aircraft suffered minor damage and no injuries were reported, according to the Henderson Fire Department.

Associated Press contributed to this report.