(CNN) -- One person died when a small plane crashed into a building and burst into flames Wednesday morning near the Deer Valley Airport runway in Phoenix, Arizona, authorities said.
The SR22 single engine aircraft crashed just after 6 a.m. MT while trying to land at Deer Valley, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Phoenix Fire Department Spokesman Scott Walker said the plane was quickly destroyed by the fire making it difficult for authorities to identify the occupant or occupants because the tail number was gone. The tail number is used to connect aircraft to a flight plan filed by the pilot.
Witnesses said the plane had just taken off and had looped around when the engine started sputtering and smoking, Walker said. Then the plane crashed into the building.
FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford said air traffic controllers were communicating with the plane before the incident, and the plane was landing on runway 7L.
The registered agent for the plane is Magneto Investments, according to federal records.
Walker said the plane hit City Wide Pest Control, near the airport. The fire did not spread to the building.
Video from the scene shortly after the crash showed white smoke rising from what appeared to be a two-story building with a severely-charred wall. CNN
