A Second World War-era plane has crashed at an airport in Connecticut, leaving seven people dead and sending at least six people to a local hospital.

The Federal Aviation Administration has identified the aircraft as a "vintage Boeing B-17", and said in a statement that the plane was attempting to land when the crash occurred. Later reports indicate the plane crashed into a de-icing facility at the airport.

"A vintage Boeing B-17 crashed at the end of Runway 6 while attempting to land at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., at 10 am," a statement from that agency said. "It is a civilian registered aircraft, not flown by the military."

Bradley International Airport, which is near Hartford, said that the airport has been closed.

"We can confirm that there was an accident involving a Collings Foundation World War II aircraft this morning at Bradley Airport," a tweet from the aircraft says. "We have an active fire and rescue operation underway. The airport is closed. We will issue further updates as information becomes available."

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Photos posted online from near the crash site show a large plume of black smoke and a fire at the airport, which is the main commercial airport in Connecticut. The airport also houses the New England Air Museum, which includes several vintage planes.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers are a four-engined plane that were first developed in the 1930s, and used for strategic daylight bombings against German industrial and military targets during the Second World War.

Brian Hamer, of Norton, Massachusetts, said he was less than a mile away when he saw a B-17, “which you don't normally see,” fly directly overhead, apparently trying without success to gain altitude.

One of the engines began to sputter, and smoke came out the back, Hamer said. The plane made a wide turn and headed back toward the airport, he said.

“Then we heard all the rumbling and the thunder, and all the smoke comes up, and we kind of figured it wasn't good,” Hamer said.

Antonio Arreguin, who had parked at a construction site near the airport, said he did not see the plane but heard the explosion and could feel the heat from “this big ball of orange fire” about 250 yards away.

The same plane also crashed in 1987 at an air show near Pittsburgh, injuring several people, the Collings Foundation said. Hit by a severe crosswind as it touched down, the bomber overshot a runway and plunged down a hill. It was later repaired.

The crash reduces to nine the number of B-17s actively flying, said Rob Bardua, spokesman for the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, near Dayton, Ohio.