By NewsGram Staff Writer

Three people were killed when a small plane crashed into a US house on Sunday evening. The residents managed to flee as fire engulfed the home.

Jim Peters of the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) said that the Beechcraft BE36 aircraft crashed into the house at about 5:45 p.m. Sunday. It had taken off from Lancaster Airport in Pennsylvania and was headed to Norwood Memorial Airport in Massachusetts.

Nearly three hours after the crash in Plainville, about 30 miles southwest of Boston, fire crews extinguished the blaze. The residents escaped and preliminary reports showed that three people in the plane were killed.

Neighbors reported hearing something amiss as the plane flew over their homes.

Mike Brown told The Sun Chronicle that he was outside barbecuing when he heard the plane, looked up and saw it start to bank.

"The engine sounded like it was sputtering and then I heard a crash and saw smoke", said Brown.