Mounties in Vernon, B.C., say two people were killed in a small plane crash near a popular soccer field on Saturday afternoon.

Police say the small twin-engine aircraft came down at about 1:30 p.m. PT shortly after taking off from the nearby airport.

"It appears the airplane touched the ground, then cart-wheeled and then burst into flames on contact," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said. "I'm told there was two people on board. Both perished in the crash."

Vernon resident Kevin Gibbs said damage to the plane was extensive.

"There was no airplane left, you couldn't tell it was an airplane except for the top tip of the tail wing," he said.

"The engine quit and just started spiralling down and just hit the ground, but he must have skidded somehow because I could see the tire mark in the grass after it was all done."

Another RCMP officer who witnessed the crash said he saw the plane come down, clip some trees, tumble through the field and then burst into flames.

Police have not released the identities of the victims.

The victims have only been identified as the 59-year-old pilot from Kelowna and a 55-year-old passenger from Port Moody, but no other details have been released.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the B.C. Coroner's Service are investigating.