SIX PEOPLE ARE feared dead following the crash of a small aircraft in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, USA.

Three men and three children were on board the plane, which crashed last night in mountains east of the city of Phoenix.

The body of one child has been recovered. Rescue officers say that it is not likely the others will be recovered alive, BBC reports.

The twin-engine aircraft flew from Safford in southeastern Arizona to Mesa’s Falcon Field to pick up the children and was headed back to Safford, according to Sheriff Paul Babeu. It is understood that the children, who were siblings, were travelling to visit their father in Safford for Thanksgiving.

As some immediate family members were out of the country, the names of those involved were not immediately released.

The mother of the children, aged between 5 and 9, was notified of the situation today. Elias Johnson of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department told the Los Angeles Times: “The mother is a pilot herself. She understands when a plane crashes at 230 miles an hour… directly into the face of the mountain… and when it’s a fiery crash, there’s little hope of survivors.”

An investigation into the crash will take place.

Additional reporting by the AP