All five passengers aboard a small jet aircraft that crashed into a house in southeast England died, a fire brigade spokesman said on Sunday.

 

There were no fatalities in the house that the plane crashed into in Farnborough, Kent, at approximately 2.30pm local time, though two people were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for shock.

 

"No survivors were found but I can confirm that there were no people found in the houses," fire brigade spokesman Jim Bascran said in Farnborough.

 

The plane was carrying two pilots and three passengers, London's Metropolitan Police earlier told AFP.

 

It crashed into a house in the Broadwater Gardens area of Farnborough, destroying it, while the house next door had its garage damaged.

 

The jet was on its way to France, Britain's domestic Press Association reported, citing an air traffic controller who did not want to be named.

 

A total of eight fire engines, 40 firefighters and four fire rescue units were at the scene.

 

Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch were already on the site of the crash and would be "investigating all aspects of the accident", a spokesman for the Department of Transport confirmed.

 

Sky News television earlier quoted a pilot named John, who said that as he was coming in to land at nearby Biggin Hill airport, he overheard a Mayday call on the radio from a plane carrying five passengers.

 

The pilot had said he was experiencing "severe engine vibrations," John said, although the prevailing weather conditions had been "nice and smooth" for flying.

 

The television channel also reported that, according to neighbours, the residents of the destroyed house were on holiday at the time.

 

Eyewitnesses told the channel that the plane had soared very close to houses in the area and appeared to encounter engine trouble.

 

"It nearly hit my house. I thought it was going to hit us," said witness and local resident Karl Mills.

 

"It was the loudest noise I have ever heard. All I could see was a big ball of fire and smoke coming from the house."

 

Sky News reported that the plane was a twin-engined Cessna Citation 501 executive jet registered to a local charter company. Cessna makes small jets used typically by businessmen.

 

Farnborough is best known internationally for the Farnborough Internatioanl Airshow, which takes place every two years, and is next scheduled for July 2008. (AFP)