Several people have been injured after to the ground shortly after take off, as rescue teams get to work to help survivors.

, including several ambulances, are at the scene in Manheim Township, . Photos of the scene shared online showbillowing into the air as fire crews declared it a "mass casualty incident (MCI)".

The is believed to be a six seater Beechcraft which was en route to . It has crashed into a residential area, with images showing some houses alight as a result of the crash. Officials are yet to reveal how many people were aboard at the time, or have been injured on the ground.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

Shock photos show the tail of the plane sitting on top of several parked cars, some of which are also alight. Local reports suggested the small plane lost power shortly after take-off from nearby Lancaster Airport and was swept off course.

An emergency alert shared online reads: "MCI declared, 500 airport road in Manheim Township in Lancaster County. EMS (Emergency Medical Services) with a plane down, on fire, several autos on fire as well. Multiple patients including burn victims.”

One person said of the incident: "I sincerely hope everyone on the ground manages to survive this. I enjoy Lancaster; what a tragic way to conclude a Sunday."

The incident is the latest aviation disaster to befall the US so far in 2025. Last month two people died when a plane crashed at Marana Regional Airport in Arizona. Earlier, a flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Pearson Airport in Toronto flipped on the runway, bursting into flames as it smashed into the tarmac.

At the end of January a commercial jet crashed into a military helicopter in Washington D.C., claiming the lives of 67 people as both crafts plunged into the icy water of a river below. The incidents have led to a dip in confidence in the safety of air travel.

A survey from showed 64% of American adults now say plane travel is “very safe” or “somewhat safe", which is down from 71% last year. About 2 in 10 U.S. adults now say air transportation is very or somewhat unsafe, up from 12% in 2024.