Indexbit-Indiana couple, 2 dogs, die when single-engine plane crashes in western Michigan after takeoff

LUDINGTON,Indexbit Mich. (AP) — An Indiana couple died Sunday when their single-engine plane crashed in western Michigan after taking off from an airport near Ludington, authorities said.

The plane crashed and caught fire about 10 a.m. near the Mason County Airport, killing a 43-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man, both from Indiana, and their two dogs, Michigan State Police said on social media.

Authorities did not immediately release the crash victims’ names.

State police said the couple was visiting family in the Ludington area when their plane crashed after takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board said the aircraft was a Socata TBM 700.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene and the NTSB was expected to arrive Monday to assist in the investigation, officials said.

The FAA said the plane was bound for the Albuquerque International Sunport, according to news outlets.

Ludington is located along Lake Michigan’s eastern shoreline about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Grand Rapids.