Five people are dead after a small airplane crashed in Alaska shortly after takeoff from a suburban Anchorage airport.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says local law enforcement officials reported that five people were on board the plane Friday morning, and all perished. Witnesses reported the plane exploded on impact.

Names of the victims have not been released.

The plane had just taken off from the Birchwood airport in Chugiak about 32 kilometres north of Anchorage.