(UPDATES with number of people on board, crash site located 1.5 miles from Reno Stead Airport, not a half mile as earlier reported)
A P2V Neptune multi-engine tanker has crashed near Reno Stead Airport in Nevada, according to the Federal Aviation Authority and other local officials.
FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor told The News Wire that the left wing of the aircraft broke off during take-off, according to eyewitnesses. The plane then caught fire and crashed near the runway.
The spokesperson said the plane did not crash in a residential area but he did not have information on casualties or the number of people on board.
Meanwhile, a Washoe County Sheriff's Office official told The News Wire that the aircraft was carrying two or three people. She added to say that the crash site was located about 1.5 miles from the airport.
KOLO-TV reported that the crash, which happened shortly after 6 pm local time, created a mushroom cloud that could be seen from miles away. The station also reported that power had been cut to the communities surrounding the crash site.
Another local station, KTVN-TV, reported that at least one person had died in the crash.