4 killed in small plane crash in US

 Four people were killed in a small plane crash in the US state of Utah, authorities have said.

The small plane crashed on Sunday night into ground in a remote area shortly after taking off from the Canyonlands Regional Airport in Moab, a city in eastern Utah, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Grand County Sheriff's Office.

"Tragically, the pilot of the plane, North Dakota state Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife and their two children did not survive the crash," said the Sheriff's Office in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed in a statement that the single-engine Piper PA-28 crashed around 8:20 p.m. local time Sunday.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said in a statement Monday afternoon that he was "deeply saddened by the heartbreaking loss of Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife, Amy, and their two young sons".

The FAA and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the crash and the NTSB will be in charge of the investigation.