Nine people reportedly die as plane crashes into building in Ohio

A small airplane has crashed into a building in the US state of Ohio leaving as many as nine people dead, reports say.

A twin-engine Hawker H25 business jets truck a house and crashed into a small apartment complex in the city of Akron about 3 pm ET on Tuesday.

The business jet, also known as a Raytheon Hawker 800 aircraft, was heading to Akron Fulton International Airport, when it clipped electrical and telephone wires and crashed into the residential building in the area of Mogadore and Skelton roads in eastern Akron.

Subsequently, the jet ignited in flames, setting fire to the building, which was presumably empty at the time of the crash.

"Obviously, the situation could have been worse, granted, if anybody was home," State Highway Patrol Lt. Bill Haymaker told NBC News, adding the toll could not be exactly determined  "due to the severity of the fire."

"The plane became engulfed in flames, which ignited the residence that it originally struck, and then also continued on to another residence," he said.

The plane was reportedly carrying seven people in addition to the pilot and the co-pilot.

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