Multiple people are reported to have died in a plane crash while the aircraft was landing at a regional airport in North Carolina, officials say.

Six people were aboard the Cessna C550 aircraft when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:20 local time (15:20GMT), aviation officials investigating the incident told reporters.

Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell confirmed to The Associated Press that there were fatalities, but declined to say how many.

Registration information for the plane suggests it is owned by a private company affiliated with Greg Biffle, a retired Nascar driver, WBTV, a CBS affiliate reported.

Statesville Airport director John Ferguson described the aircraft as a corporate jet and said that it was already engulfed in flames when he arrived on the scene.

The business jet took off around 10:06 local time and was in the air briefly before the crash.

It crashed on the east end of the runway and authorities do not yet have information on the cause of the crash.

Statesville Airport will remain closed until further notice as crews clear debris off the runway, Mr. Ferguson told reporters.

Officials did not provide any information about deaths or people aboard the aircraft during the media conference.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, said it was launching a go team to investigate the fatal crash. The team expects to arrive on scene on Thursday night.

The Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) is owned by the City of Statesville, which is about 45 minutes north of Charlotte.

It also provides aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several Nascar racing teams. (BBC, but headline rejigged)