Five environmental workers on their way to help following a metal plant explosion in Ohio were killed as a small plane crashed near the Clinton National Airport in Arkansas, say officials.

The Little Rock Police Department say that a twin-engine plane went down in an area between the city’s airport and the 3M Little Rock plant on Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed that the plane was a twin-engine BE20 departing the airport for John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio.

The FAA stated that the plane had five people on board, and deputies at the scene said there were no survivors found, reported KARK.

All five people killed in the accident worked for consulting firm CTEH, which provides response services, including “environmental data collection, and management, GIS, safety, incident management, industrial hygiene, toxicology and human health consulting for the public and private sectors.”

“We are incredibly saddened to report the loss of our Little Rock colleagues,” said Dr Paul Nony, senior vice president of CTEH.

“We ask everyone to keep the families of those lost and the entire CTEH team in their thoughts and prayers.”

The employees had been on their way to help deal with the fatal metal plant explosion that took place earlier this week in Bedford, Ohio.

A company spokesperson confirmed to KARK that the team was travelling to the Schumann and Company Metals Plant where one person was killed on Monday.

The area near the airport saw strong wind gusts around the time of the crash, according to Arkansas Storm Team meteorologist Pat Walker, who said there were winds of up to 46mph.

The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash and determine what caused it.

Key Points

• Pilot and passengers all worked for same consulting company
• Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport comments on crash

Arkansas plane crash

Wednesday 22 February 2023 22:26 , Graeme Massie

Good afternoon, this is a live blog covering a plane crash in Little Rock, Arkansas, that officials say killed five people.

Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport comments on crash

00:31 , Graeme Massie

Shane Carter, the Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations for the Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport, released a statement on the crash on Wednesday afternoon.

“Clinton National Airport expresses our condolences to the families of those who died in today’s plane crash south of the airport. The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency coordinating with the National Transportation Safety Board and will be providing updates.”

Five people killed as small plane crashes near Arkansas’s Clinton National Airport, say officials

03:01 , Graeme Massie

Five people killed as small plane crashes near Arkansas’s Clinton National Airport

Pilot and passengers all worked for same consulting company

05:01 , Graeme Massie

All five people killed in the accident worked for consulting firm CTEH, which provides response services, including “environmental data collection, and management, GIS, safety, incident management, industrial hygiene, toxicology and human health consulting for the public and private sectors.”

“We are incredibly saddened to report the loss of our Little Rock colleagues,” said Dr Paul Nony, senior vice president of CTEH.

“We ask everyone to keep the families of those lost and the entire CTEH team in their thoughts and prayers.”

Little Rock Police say plane was twin-engined one

07:01 , Graeme Massie

Here is the incident CTEH employees were on their way to help with

09:01 , Graeme Massie

Huge explosion at Ohio metal factory kills one and injures at least 13

Arkansas weatherman says significant wind near airport at time of crash

11:02 , Graeme Massie

Arkansas Storm Team meteorologist Pat Walker said on Twitter that there was a gust of 46mph around the time of the accident.