The twin-engine plane — apparently a vintage aircraft that had been modified — went down moments after taking off at Al-Ain International Airport about 100 km east of Abu Dhabi. A statement by the UAE's Civil Aviation Authority said it crashed the taxiway before catching fire.

“Shortly after liftoff, the aircraft veered to the left and crashed on Taxiway Kilo,” the statement said.

Investigators were examining the wreckage to determine a possible cause for the fiery Sunday evening crash. The identities of those killed — the only people on board — were not immediately disclosed.

A US Embassy spokesperson confirmed the deaths on Monday and said that authorities would be working together to determine the cause of the crash.

The Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National reported the plane was owned by Triple S Aviation, a Texas-based aircraft service company with a branch office in Dubai.

The company's website says it offers business aircraft, helicopters, and special use aircraft to the Middle East and South Asian markets.

The eight-seater aircraft was destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire, the GCAA statement added.