LOS ANGELES, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and one was injured after a small plane crashed Tuesday morning in Truckee in the western U.S. state of California, local authorities said.

The single-engine plane crashed after taking off from the Truckee Airport near the famous American tourist resort Lake Tahoe in Northern California. One person died at the scene and two others were hospitalized following the accident, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office confirmed around an hour and a half later that a second person onboard the plane had died.

"Pilot put out 'May Day' after takeoff," tweeted the Sheriff's Office, adding that coroner officers were on the scene.

The pilot had reported having issues with the plane's engine after taking off from the airport, and was trying to return when the crash took place, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The accident will be investigated by U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.