A small plane crashed after experiencing takeoff troubles outside Quebec City on Wednesday morning, killing all seven people onboard, officials told Canadian media outlets.
Authorities told CBC News the twin-engine Beechcraft King Air plane crashed in a private field and burst into flames shortly after taking off from Quebec City Jean-Lesage International Airport. All five passengers and two crew members perished, airport spokesman Richard Girard told reporters. None of the victims' names were released.
The pilot made a distress call to the control tower in the moments before crashing, according to The Toronto Star.
"We have a right engine problem, we’re going to return for landing," the pilot told the tower, the Star reported.
The charter plane was en route to Sept-Iles on Quebec's North Shore when it crashed. There were no casualties on the ground, and no other flights at the airport were canceled or delayed, the airport spokesman said.
The aircraft is owned by charter and sightseeing company Aeropro, which was founded in 1988. Based in Quebec City, the company has more than 300 employees, according to their website.
The plane had suffered engine failure, causing pilots to lose control, the company told a press conference Wednesday.
Another plane crashed last month in nearby L'Ile-aux-Grues, Quebec, killing four people. That flight crashed 15 minutes after takeoff, according to the Toronto Star. While the plane had the Aeropro sticker on it and ties to Aeropro, the company said Wednesday it didn't own the plane.
A call to the company from msnbc.com was not immediately returned.
