Firefighters said that the pilot deployed an "airframe parachute system," which allowed the aircraft to make a safe landing in the Cleveland National Forest.

A dive team, crime scene unit and drone unit have been deployed after the plane crashed near the base of a causeway, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) said in a post on Facebook. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has also responded to the scene.

It happened near the base of the Galveston Causeway. The United States Coast Guard said it got a call about the crash around 3:15 p.m. They said the plane went down just west of the Causeway, and six people were in the water. Their conditions are unknown.

A small plane crashed after taking off from DuPage Airport in West Chicago Wednesday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating after seven people – including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle – died when a small private jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Statesville,

Dec 18 (Reuters) - Seven people were killed Thursday in the crash of a Cessna 550 business jet in Statesville, North Carolina, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, NASCAR said. The plane crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.

According to a press release, a plane was approaching to land when the landing gear failed to be lowered, causing the plane to land on its underside.

Federal investigators on Friday will begin sifting through the wreckage of a business jet that crashed in North Carolina and killed all seven people aboard, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family.