Four passengers were killed when a Grumman 21T aircraft crashed at Al-Ain airport in the east of the United Arab Emirates, an aviation authority statement said on Monday.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said the plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Sunday evening, adding that there were four deaths.

"Shortly after lift off, the aircraft veered to the left and crashed on Taxiway Kilo," it said.

It said that the eight-seater aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a subsequent fire, and that an investigation had been opened to establish the cause.

Emirates 24/7 news website reported that the four dead were all Americans, citing a top official it did not name.