Plane leaving US air field catches fire; 7 aboard

BEDFORD, Massachusetts—Authorities say a small private plane with seven people aboard crashed and caught fire as it was leaving at air field in Massachusetts.

Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Hanscom Field, says emergency personnel were still working the scene overnight Saturday. He couldn’t say what condition those aboard the Gulfstream IV aircraft were in.

Jim Peters of the Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft apparently ran off a runway Saturday night while taking off. Peters said officials told the FAA the aircraft then caught fire.

The plane was headed to Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey at the time.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

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