An air crash in the United States has claimed the lives of all ten people on board, officials have confirmed.

An air taxi came down earlier in the state of Alaska as it took off from Soldotna airport, south of Anchorage. 

The fixed-wing aircraft was engulfed in flames before firefighters could reach it, a local official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

The cause of the crash will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board, with the body confirming the plane involved was a de Havilland Otter Air Taxi.