FRANKLIN, N.C. ( WHNS /Gray News) - Three people are dead after a small plane flying from Nashville, Tennessee, crashed in North Carolina Thursday afternoon.

According to the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the airplane went down next to Iotla Valley Elementary School, killing the three people who were on board.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a Cirrus SR22T and crashed in a field around 3 p.m.

An EMS responder reported finding no survivors at the site of the crash, Macon County dispatch reports.

Macon County Schools said that all students and staff at the nearby elementary school were safe and that the crash did not occur on campus.

Officials did not immediately identify those who died.

The crash is being investigated by the North Carolina Highway Patrol, FAA

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