9 killed in Hawaii aircraft crash

Los Angeles: A twin-engine skydiving aircraft has crashed near an airfield on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, killing all nine passengers on board, authorities said.

"There were 9 souls on board the King Air twin engine plane that went down near Dillingham Airfield with no apparent survivors," the Hawaii Department of Transportation tweeted on Friday.

Honolulu Fire Department received the first call of the downed craft at about 6.30 p.m. (local time) on Friday and when firefighters arrived, they found the wreckage of the craft fully engulfed in flames, Hawaii News Now website reported.

The plane crashed on North Shore in Oahu, part of the Hawaiian island chain and home to the state capital, Honolulu. Photos showed smoke billowing from miles away. It was not yet clear whether the plane was taking off or landing.

Dillingham Airfield, 56 km northwest of downtown Honolulu, is a general aviation airport operated by the Hawaii Department of Transportation under a 25-year lease from the US Army.