Video captured the moment a teenage boy staggered from the wreckage of a burning plane in a suburban street in Detroit, Michigan.
According to reports, a 54-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman died in the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration said initial reports were that only three people were aboard the Cessna 210.
The footage shows flames and smoke billowing from the crushed plane before the 17-year-old is seen rolling out of the flames, staggering to his feet and running to safety.
The boy was taken to hospital and is being treated for third-degree burns.
Neighbours told local media they tried to get the passengers out of the wreckage.
"One guy, big guy, by a window couldn't get out and he couldn't breathe. I had a stick. Didn't work, so another guy got an axe," Larry Whitfield, 72, said.
Mr Whitfield said he and another man managed to break a window before backing away from the plane, fearing it might explode.
Detroit Police Captain Mark Thornton said the plane was coming from Arkansas and was scheduled to arrive at Coleman Young International Airport, according to the Detroit Free Press.
A spokesperson from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told local media the pilot had reported a landing gear problem and low fuel to air traffic controllers shortly before the accident.
