Two brothers were killed Wednesday when their small aircraft struck a tree shortly after takeoff and crashed into a corn field in rural Tennessee, authorities said.

The Warren County Sheriff's Office said it received the first report of the crash at around 12:19 pm local time (17:19 GMT) near Morrison Industrial Park, close to the town of McMinnville, some 110 kilometres (68 miles) southeast of Nashville.

"Tragically, both occupants of the aircraft were pronounced deceased at the scene," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Officials said the single-engine plane, identified by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as a Cessna 177RG, had taken off from a private airstrip in the nearby Viola community.

"Based on a preliminary investigation... the pilot subsequently attempted to reach the Warren County Memorial Airport; however, the aircraft was unable to do so and ultimately crashed," the sheriff's office said.

Warren County Sheriff Jackie Matheny Jr. told local broadcaster NewsChannel 5 that the aircraft appeared to have struck a tree, continued flying briefly, then nosedived, leaving behind a large debris field. NewsChannel 5

The sheriff's office said the deaths had shaken the close-knit rural community. "This is a heartbreaking loss for their family, friends, and the entire Viola community, as well as all of the local pilots who knew the brothers personally," it said.

The NTSB has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with an agency investigator due at the site on Thursday. 

Source: Local Broadcaster WSMV