At least three people were killed in a horrifying small plane crash in South Carolina on Sunday.

At around 11.20 am, a plane carrying four people crashed into the woods near the golf course outside Myrtle Beach and burst into flames.

According to the preliminary investigation, the single-engine Piper PA-32 crashed just off Barefoot Resort and Golf Club. After it caught fire and began emitting black smoke, emergency responders were deployed to the scene to put out the fire and tend to the victims.

Unfortunately, only one of the four people on the plane survived the ordeal. It was also revealed that at least one person was pronounced dead on the scene. It remains unclear whether the other two victims died in the crash or later in the hospital.

“Keep the victims in your prayers. We’ll be assisting the investigating agencies as much as possible,” Officer Pat Wilkinson told the media shortly after the deadly incident. “Try to avoid the area, please. We will have officers guarding the scene.”

As of this writing, the crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration.

Meanwhile, witnesses began speaking out and recalling the moment the doomed aircraft plummeted to the ground.

“I pointed it out to my wife and in seconds the smoke was billowing. Emergency vehicles sped by,” one man posted on Twitter.

“This was all while we sat waiting for the light to change.”

The victims of the crash have yet to be named. Our thoughts remain with their families and loved ones as the investigation into their deaths continues.