A small plane crashed Monday in a mountainous area of Nara Prefecture in western Japan, with two people aboard found dead near the wreckage, police said.

The plane is believed to be a single-engine, turboprop Socata TBM 700 aircraft, which went missing around noon shortly after leaving an airport in Yao in adjacent Osaka Prefecture, according to the transport ministry.

The aircraft had planned to head to Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan. But it crashed immediately after reporting to the air traffic controller that it would return to Yao airport, according to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.

Japan's transport safety panel said it will send two investigators to look into the accident.

The police identified the two who died as Ryoichi Tanaka, a 68-year-old company executive living in the city of Osaka, and his wife Sachiko, 55.

The police were informed around 12:15 p.m. that a small plane was believed to have crashed in the village of Yamazoe. A woman who saw the moment the plane went down said she first thought she was witnessing an "acrobatic flight" as she heard an unnatural engine sound from above.

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"It only took about 10 seconds until I noticed the aircraft and heard a large wham sound," said Nahoko Kitamoto, 53, who was visiting a viewing platform nearby.

According to the transport ministry, the same plane was found to have had problems in its radio equipment on Friday and headed back after taking off from Yao airport.

The TBM 700, developed by French company Socata which is now called Daher, can carry up to six passengers and is known for being used as a private aircraft because it offers a relatively comfortable ride even when flying at high altitude.