According to authorities, three people were killed on Wednesday when a small airplane crashed in a residential neighborhood west of Los Angeles.

Riverside Fire Battalion Chief Mike Esparza said that three passengers from the plane lost their lives in the crash which occurred Wednesday night. There were no reports about injuries on the ground.

According to witnesses, the airplane showed it had difficulties as soon as it took off from Riverside Municipal Airport, less than a half mile away.

A resident, Steve Kiser, witnessed the crash. He was outside his home when the plane started coming towards him. It scarcely cleared the power lines and afterwards it veered with the nose diving into the street.

Kiser said: "I knew he wasn't going to make it. It blew up and all the trees caught fire," San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Esperanza said: "The pilot did one heck of a job avoiding these homes and preventing anyone else from being hurt.”

The plane crashed near Monroe Street and Pembroke Avenue, just south of Riverside Municipal Airport.

According to him, the pilot wanted to land on a residential street, and made a good job missing the houses and a yard where there were two people.

A car was destroyed by the crash and palm trees were engulfed by flames.

Firefighters were called about the crash after 10 p.m. and as they arrived the plane was already in flames.

Riverside is located about 60 miles west of Los Angeles.