Lewis Katz, the co-owner of Philadelphia Inquirer, and six other persons were killed when a small business jet crashed shortly after takeoff Saturday night outside Boston.

Authorities said the 72-year-old Katz, and the six others who perished, were onboard the Gulfstream IV jet when it crashed shortly after departing Hanscom Field.

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The plane crash took place days after Katz and his friend paid US $88 million to buy a controlling stake in the parent company of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The plane was heading for Atlantic City International Airport, said Massachusetts Port Authority (MPA) spokesman Matthew Brelis. MPA operates the field located northwest of Boston.

Witnesses told air crash investors that they heard an aerial explosion and saw fireball forming into the air. No one survived the plane crash, USA Today reported.

The names of the other fatalities have not been disclosed yet and a press conference was set to discuss further details of the private plane crash.

Investigation was still on going as of press time and the Hanscom Field was temporarily shut down.

Experts offer various explanations that could have resulted to the explosion. One said there could be fire in the combustion chamber or that a fuel leak could have triggered the fire.

Last week, Katz announced that he and Gerry Lenfest, a close friend, had put together US $88 million to buy a controlling stake of the media company that owns the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, founded in June 1829, is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States.

Interstate General Media, the Inquirer's parent company, said in a statement it was saddened by the sudden loss of Katz. The company conveyed its condolences to Katz's family and friends.

TagsPhiladelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Inquirer Co-owner, US Plane Crash, Lewis Katz