Illinois plane crash: Four killed in horror incident as aircraft plummets to ground

Four people were killed when a s into a field after hitting power lines, as an investigation gets under way into the cause of the tragedy.

Pictures from the show debris strewn across a field and over a nearby road after the aircraft, a single-engine Cessna 180, fell from the skies over Illinois in the US. The crash site is southeast of Coles County Memorial Airport, although it is unknown if this was the plane's final destination. Illinois State Police confirmed in a statement all four people were from Menomonie, Wisconsin, and were killed in the tragedy.

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Illinois State Police said: "ISP Troop 7 was notified of a small single-engine plane crash at the above location. All four occupants were from Menomonie, Wis., and were pronounced deceased on scene.

"The aircraft remains in the roadway and the roadway will be shut down until later today. This in an active and ongoing investigation."

Governor JB Pritzker said on social media: "Terrible news out of Coles County. My administration is monitoring the situation as we keep those impacted by the plane crash in our thoughts today.

"Thank you to the first responders who rushed to the scene. Please follow the guidance of officials as they provide assistance."

The Federal Aviation Administration has began an investigation into Saturday's crash and the he National Transportation Safety Board is expected to arrive today.

Eyewitness Kynnedi Goldstein told CBS News Chicago: "I was getting ready to turn a show on and all of a sudden I hear this noise. It's like the whole 'boom,' and then our power went out for a second, and then our generator kicked on.

"So then I go out to our sunroom, and I look, and there's a huge pile of smoke."

The tragedy is the latest plane crash in recent days in the US. On Friday three people died The small airplane crashed into a river in eastern , authorities said.

The aircraft was travelling along the Platte River and crashed into the water south of Fremont at 8.15pm, Sargeant Brie Frank of the Dodge County said during a news conference.