A 7-year-old girl survived a plane crash in Kentucky that killed four people on Friday night, then walked away from the wreckage and reported the crash to a local resident, authorities said.

The girl, who has not been identified, was released from hospital on Saturday. Police said her name was being withheld at the request of family.

Also on Saturday, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials arrived at the crash scene. Local police said investigators with the National Transportation Safety board were also expected to get to the scene on Saturday.

The small Piper PA-34 reported engine trouble and lost contact with air traffic controllers as it was flying over the southwestern part of Kentucky at about 5.55pm CST, the FAA said.

About half-an-hour later, a Lyon County resident called 911 and told dispatchers a 7-year-old girl had walked to his home and said she had been involved in a plane crash, according to Sergeant Dean Patterson of the Kentucky state police.

“This girl came out of the wreckage herself and found the closest residence and reported the plane crash,” Patterson said. “It’s a miracle in a sense that she survived it, but it’s tragic that four others didn’t.”

The girl was in emotional distress and was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Patterson said. At that point, authorities launched a search for the crash site and also confirmed with the FAA that they had received a distress call.

About two hours later, authorities found the crash site in a heavily wooded area near a lake, a popular tourist attraction in the state. They discovered four bodies, including the pilot and the three passengers.

The FAA said the plane had taken off from Tallahassee Regional Airport in Florida and was bound for Mount Vernon, Illinois. Patterson said the girl indicated that the plane had left from Key West, Florida.

Patterson said in a statement that the victims had been identified as 48-year-old Marty Gutzler; 46-year-old Kimberly Gutzler; their daughter, 9-year-old Piper Gutzler; and her cousin, 14-year-old Sierra Wilder. All four were from Nashville, Illinois.

Patterson said it had been raining in the area for most of Friday. The cause of the crash was under investigation.