A four-seater plane crashed into Virginia's Norfolk Botanical Garden, near the international airport, killing two people on Wednesday, Virginia State Police said.

The identities of the fatalities and whether they were onboard the plane that crashed or were on the ground have not been disclosed yet. Early reports indicated four people were supposed to be on the plane.

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The general aviation plane was attempting to land on runway 23, one of four at the Norfolk International Airport, when it lost contact with the control tower, said Norfolk Battalion Chief Julian Williamson.

"At approximately 1.5 miles out, the pilot made a transmission to the tower," he said. "This would be the last communication the tower had with the pilot." He did not disclose what the pilot said.

WVEC-TV meteorologist Craig Moeller said visibility along the coast was below a mile when the plane went missing.

Rescuers searched the Norfolk area, about 200 miles south of Washington, D.C., and found the crash site some 300 yards from the airport in the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.

Two people were found dead at the crash site, located in the Enchanted Forest section of the sprawling 155-acre property, Virginia State Police said in a statement.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Jim Peters said the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating to determine a probable cause of the crash

The Norfolk Botanical Garden immediately released a statement saying "The Garden is closed to the public until further notice. All classes and programs scheduled for Wednesday March 4th have been postponed".

TagsVirginia Plane Crash, Norfolk Botanical Garden, plane crash