HAIFA, Israel, April 14 (UPI) -- Four people were killed in a light plane crash near the airport in Haifa, Israel, Thursday after the pilot reported a malfunction, officials said.
The 65-year-old pilot and three students were in the Piper aircraft when it crashed at the air force's technical school, not far from classrooms, Ynetnews.com reported.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported a malfunction to air traffic controllers, and as he prepared to land, the plane hit trees and burst into flames, the Web site said.
Police Cmdr. Benny Ablaya said the plane took off and turned eastward on its way south and crashed near the military base's fence, the Web site said.
Emergency and rescue teams were confronted with a large blaze, but managed to extricate three bodies. A fourth was found tangled in the trees, Ynetnews.com said.
Last month, two people were killed in a similar plane crash, Haaretz said.
