4 killed after small plane crashes near Dubai airport

Four people - three Britons and one South African - lost their lives after a plane carrying them crashed three miles to the south of Dubai International Airport here on Thursday evening due to a technical malfunction.

"The four-seater plane crashed while on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport," an official statement issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced.

The four-seater has since been identified as a diamond 43 owned by the conglomerate Honeywell and registered in the UK, according to the Dubai Media office. Honeywell, in a later statement, denied that it owned the plane while condoling the incident.

"We are deeply saddened by today`s plane crash in Dubai, and our heartfelt condolences are with the victims` families. The plane was not owned or operated by Honeywell but by a third party engaged by Honeywell. We are waiting for more details," the statement read.

An investigation team from the GCAA arrived at the site of the incident. Even though a few planes were diverted or delayed for some time due to the mishap, operations are currently back to normal.

"The General Civil Aviation Authority will investigate the accident to establish its causes in accordance with international standards and best practices in this regard," the GCAA tweeted.

Furthermore, the authority extended its condolences to their families and relatives of the deceased, whose names have not been revealed yet.