KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two people died after a small plane crashed and was consumed by fire shortly before noon Wednesday in Excelsior Springs, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

The plane, a Cessna 340, crashed just north of the Midwest National Air Center near Northeast 140th Street and Rhodus Road, according to Clay County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sarah Boyd. The plane was landing at the airport at the time of the crash.

Shortly before noon, the sheriff’s office received a call reporting heavy smoke coming from a field. The caller said there might have been a plane that crashed. Arriving deputies found the plane engulfed in flames.

Authorities have not yet identified the people who died in the crash.

Multiple fire departments responded, including Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Liberty, and the Fishing River Fire District. Preliminary information indicates the flight originated in the urban St. Louis area.

“We don’t believe the victims are local, but we have a lot more work to do,” Boyd said. The sheriff’s office has notified the FAA and the NTSB, which will investigate the cause of the crash.

The airport will remain closed to air traffic until 5 p.m. Dozens of planes fly in and out of the airport every day, Boyd said.

“A lot of small plane folks on a regular basis,” Boyd said. “It is pretty popular.”

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