5 killed in Arkansas plane crash while en route to scene of a fatal explosion at Ohio factory

Five people who worked for an environmental response consulting firm were killed in a plane crash Wednesday in Little Rock, Arkansas, while on their way to a metal factory explosion site in Ohio, officials said.

The plane was carrying employees of the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health when it took off from Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock around noon Wednesday, according to the firm and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The employees were headed to John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio to respond to a fatal explosion at a metal factory, a spokesperson for CTEH told CNN in an email.

The twin-engine plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff near the Little Rock airport, the National Transportation Safety Board told CNN in an emailed statement.