At least 49 people were killed when a commuter plane on flight from Newark to Buffalo crashed into a house in light snow on Friday, about 6 kilometers from Buffalo airport, sending up huge plumes of smoke.

The dead included 44 passengers, four crew and one person on the ground.

Three Indians were feared killed in the crash, according to media reports.

The plane, which was carrying 44 passengers and four crew members, was flying to Buffalo, New York from Newark, New Jersey. It is a route frequented by Indian travelers, reports said.

The airline authorities have not revealed the identity of the Indians onboard.

County Executive Chris Collins was quoted by Buffalo News as saying that the crew of the plane had reported mechanical trouble as it approached the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Trooper John Manthey with the New York State Police said the plane went down into a house in the hamlet of Clarence Center and local officials said 12 homes were evacuated around the site of the crash as firemen sought to control the blaze.

The 50-seater plane was said to be a Dash 8, a two-engined turboprop, and was operated by Colgan Airways, as a feeder airline for Continental.

Collins said the plane, Continental Airlines Flight 3407, crashed five minutes before it was due to land. The house it crashed into was still fully engulfed in flames but it was not clear whether anyone was in the house.

A joint investigation was being done by the state police, the Erie County Sheriff's Office and the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.