An investigation has begun into the plane crash that killed several people in North Carolina

MANTEO, N.C. (AP) — Federal authorities were investigating this week after several people died when a single-engine plane crashed Saturday afternoon in a wooded area at Wright Brothers National Memorial First Flight Airport, the Park Service said National.

The crash happened at 5 p.m. as eyewitnesses said the plane was attempting to land at the airport, the park service said in a news release.

The plane caught fire after the crash, the park service said. The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department and other local fire departments extinguished the fire.

The airport is closed until further notice, the park service said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration was also notified.

The Wright Brothers National Memorial will be closed Sunday, the park service said.

It was not clear if the crash was related to the high winds and rain unleashed by Hurricane Helene, which battered western North Carolina and South Carolina over the weekend.

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