FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — A couple from Burlington, N.C., died in a small plane crash in northeast Florida, officials and family members said Monday.

Pilot David Mack, 49, and his wife Katherine Mitchell, 45, both of Burlington, were pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, according to a report in the

Florida Times-Union.

The couple was in a Piper PA-30 that had just taken off from the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport. The plane turned around and was trying to return to the runway when it crashed about 4 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Fernandina Beach is about 25 miles north of Jacksonville.

A similar incident involving a Piper aircraft occurred last week at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

A man headed for Concord, N.C., reported engine trouble shortly after takeoff from RDU and was trying to return to the runway when he landed safely on Aviation Parkway.