According to officials, around 8:15 pm Saturday, the single-engined Beechcraft Sierra aircraft, carrying four people, crashed just after takeoff from Henderson Executive Airport, located about 25 minutes from Las Vegas. The accident occurred about 800 meters south of the airport, said an FAA spokesman.
One person died on the scene and another in a hospital, investigators said. They refused to disclose the names or ages of the victims.
Three people were hospitalized. Two remained in hospital in serious condition on Sunday. The third person who had been hospitalized, apparently a good Samaritan, reportedly suffered from smoke inhalation.
The plane had a mechanical problem and turned back to try to land after its crash, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, quoting a Henderson spokeswoman.
The pilot reported to air traffic controllers that a door had opened about two minutes after take-off.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated the cause of the accident.
