At least one dead after plane crashes into New Mexico home after taking off from local airport

At least one person was killed and a home was engulfed in flames after a plane crashed into it shortly after taking off from an airport in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office says that the plane, which just had the pilot aboard, took off from Santa Fe Municipal Airport at 9.02am and crashed into the single-family home, which went up in a blaze.

Authorities do not think anyone was inside the home at the time of the incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration says that the plane involved in the accident was a Cessna 310.

Wilson Silver, a spokesperson for New Mexico State Police, said the twin-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff from the Santa Fe Regional Airport. The plane had been on its way to Santa Monica, California.

Mr Silver said the pilot radioed the tower that the plane had experienced left-engine failure shortly after takeoff. The identity ofthe pilot has not been released.

First responders declared the victim dead at the scene, where the fire was contained within around 10 minutes.

New Mexico State Police tweeted that it was now investigating the “fatal” Tuesday morning crash.

“NMSP is investigating a fatal plane crash near the West Frontage RD and La Luna RD in Santa Fe. Scene is active,” tweeted New Mexico State Police.

Witness Nathalie Waldman told The Albuquerque Journal that the plane had been flying east before turning around, at which point she saw it go down.

“Then there was this huge, massive black smoke,” she told the newspaper.