Wall Township, NJ – Five people, including two children, were killed this afternoon when a twin-engine Cessna broke apart and crashed into a snowy field while apparently trying to land at the Monmouth Executive Airport in Wall Township, authorities said.

Witnesses said it appeared a piece of the plane fell off just moments before the crash, which scattered debris over several hundred feet.

Wall Township Police Capt. Tim Clayton said the victims, at least two of whom were from New Jersey, were believed to have been on their way to New York for sightseeing when the plane crashed about 3:45 p.m.

The plane had taken off from the airport, formerly known as Allaire, though it was not clear when the plane had left, Clayton said, adding “we think it may have been coming in for a landing,” when the crash occurred.

Witnesses said the plane was approaching the airport, then pulled up and broke apart moments before slamming into the ground. Clayton said a piece of the aircraft was found on the runway, separate from the rest of the wreckage, which was off the runway.

Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said there’s “a very large debris field” at the airport.

Names of the victims were not released last night, but police said at least three were related, including a father and son. One of the victims was a teenager and another younger boy, Clayton said. All of the victims were male; two were from New Jersey and three were from out of state. The two juveniles were thrown from the plane, Clayton said.

The airplane, a Cessna 337 Skymaster, was based at the airport, said Peters, the FAA spokesman.

The weather was overcast at the time of the crash, but no precipitation was falling, according to the FAA.

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