HOWLAND — An investigation is underway into an early Sunday plane crash in Howland that killed all six people on board.

Reports state a twin-engine plane that had two crew members and four passengers crashed shortly after 7 a.m. after leaving from the nearby Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna. The crash occurred between Spring Run Road and King Graves Road NE.

Representatives of the Western Reserve Port Authority, Howland Fire Department and Trumbull County Emergency Management Agency had a news conference Sunday afternoon detailing the situation local safety forces dealt with following the crash.

Anthony Trevena, executive director of the Western Reserve Port Authority, said there were no survivors. He said the Cessna 144 plane crashed seven minutes after takeoff about 2 miles away from the airport. The plane was heading to Montana, he said.

The victims were taken to the Trumbull County Coroner’s Office. The coroner was at the scene Sunday morning. Trevena said the names of the victims are not being released at this time as family was still being notified.

He said the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration is underway, with the NTSB leading the investigation.

Howland fire Chief Raymond Pace said cooperation from the different agencies at the scene helped with the probe since the plane crashed in a thickly wooded area with many trees and was difficult to reach. Crews were at the scene for several hours Sunday determining the best way to access the wooded area.

The Trumbull County HazMat team, a drone team from Trumbull EMA and Youngstown Air Reserve Station fire crews were among those at the scene, with Howland police and fire assisting.

“We were all able to work together. It was a tragic situation,” Pace said.

Pace said the crash could have been worse if nearby houses had been hit. He said there were three homes very close to the wooded area where the plane crashed, but no one on the ground was injured.

Pace said this is the deadliest local crash originating from the airport and hits hard since those who died are known to the aviation community. Officials said NTSB investigators were expected to be at the site Sunday evening to examine the aircraft and the operating equipment.

Trevena said it will take time for everyone to heal.

Earlier in the day, safety crews were walking in the backyards of the homes nearest to the crash scene. The perimeter of the three homes on King Graves Road were roped off.

Pace said residents reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing a lot of smoke from the wooded area.

Resident Milla Kluska, who lives near the crash scene off Celestial Drive and King Graves Road, said while she did not hear anything Sunday morning, her daughter lives in the White Oaks development and told her she heard a very loud crash.

“My daughter told me she was up early this morning and said she heard a loud boom sound,” Kluska said

She said she saw several ambulances, fire trucks and the coroner’s vehicle at the scene.

Safety officials are asking the public to avoid the King Graves, Henn Hyde Road and Spring River Road areas.

More information is expected to be released today.

On July 19, 2024, an airplane crashed across from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, killing all three people on board. The crash involved a twin-engine plane that was attempting an emergency landing after reporting engine trouble. The victims were identified as Jawdat Khawam, Martine Arseneault, and Daphne Khawam, all from Laval, Quebec, Canada.