LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – First responders answered the call when a plane crashed south of Clinton National Airport Wednesday afternoon.

Little Rock firefighters said they saw what looked like smoke from burning debris. The Little Rock Fire Department said they began working with aviation officials to locate a beacon or GPS signal that could guide them to a possible downed aircraft.

Just after 12 p.m., someone called 911 about an explosion being heard near the 3M plant south of the airport, and another call about an airplane being witnessed going down.

Listen to the call in the video player above

Because of the call, the Little Rock Communications Center issued an Alert Four, an alert for a downed aircraft, causing emergency responders to quickly head to the scene of the crash.

In a press conference, it was noted that emergency crews responded to the scene around 10 minutes and that the site of the crash was off the roadway, forcing crews to navigate around rocks and trees.

Deputies say that five people died in the crash. Little Rock-based firm CTEH said that all five were company employees. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to take over the investigation of the crash in the coming days.