3 Die in Massachusetts Small Plane Crash

Three people were killed when a small plane crashed in a wooded area near New Bedford Regional Airport on Friday night, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The plane crashed at 7:45 p.m. about 1.5 miles west of the airport in the woods. It was cleared for landing at the airport.

"At some point as the aircraft was on final approach, we lost communication with it," FAA spokesman Jim Peters said.

The turboprop Socata plane is owned by PK Leasing of Allentown, Pa., Peters said. It wasn't immediately known where the plane took off, he said.

Saul Friedman, owner of a gym near the airport, said that it was raining at the time of the crash.

A call to the airport was not immediately returned.

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