The plane was on its way from Pembroke Pines, Fla., to Briscoe Field, the small airport it was approaching when it crashed, officials said.
Lt. Craig Stanley of the Gwinnett County Fire Department said there were reports of an explosion at about 9 p.m. and confirmed there were at least three fatalities.
There was no immediate identification of the victims, although Gwinnett County Police said two of the victims were female and the other was male. Reportedly, they were a mother, father and their teenage daughter who were flying in to visit friends in Gwinnett Couonty.
The plane is designed to carry seven passengers. It was not immediately known how many people were on board.
Stanley said the plane's pilot had radioed that the plane was having trouble and that he was attempting to land. An air traffic controller then called authorities after seeing an orange glow in the distance, he said. Authorities now say there was no distress call from the plane, only routine traffic between the pilot and the tower.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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