The pilot made an emergency call to John C. Tune Airport around 7:40 p.m., reported engine trouble and was given clearance to make an emergency landing, Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said. A short time later the pilot radioed that the aircraft would not reach the airport, he said.

The plane burst into flames when it crashed in a grassy median just off Interstate 40 and behind a Costco on the city’s westside. The crash scene was about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the general aviation airport.

"It appears that everyone on board perished," Aaron said.

The exact number of victims was not immediately known, he said. Authorities also were working to determine from where the plane originated.

There were no injuries to drivers on the interstate, Nashville Fire Department spokesperson Kendra Loney said. Authorities said no vehicles or buildings on the ground were damaged.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.