The small Cessna crashed and broke apart shortly after taking off Friday afternoon, city officials said.

BY HANNAH LACLAIRE STAFF WRITER

Two people have been taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after a plane crashed at the Portland International Jetport Friday afternoon, according to airport officials.

The private plane, a small Cessna, crashed after taking off shortly before 4 p.m., according to an update from the city. The aircraft “broke apart” when it crashed on one of the airport’s secondary runways, according to Paul Bradbury, airport director. Photos of the wrecked plane showed the tail section of the plane had partially split apart from the cockpit.

Bradbury said during a media briefing later Friday that he believes the plane was taking off when it caught fire, and that the cause of the fire is under investigation, News Center Maine reported.

Portland firefighters put out the fire and provided medical treatment at the scene, the city said.

The two injured were the only two people aboard the plane.  They have not been identified. Officials would not say whether they were the owners of the plane.

More information about their condition was not immediately available.

News Center Maine reported that the registration number on the tail, N9946Q, is registered to “Horizon Aviation LLC” in Sinclair.

The primary runway was not impacted. The Jetport was closed temporarily Friday before flights resumed at 4:54 p.m.

Five inbound flights were diverted but later landed at Portland: Southwest Flight 3102, United Flight 2465, United 785, Frontier Flight 1658, American Flight 4503.