Neighbors near the area where a UPS cargo plane crashed say they heard engines sputtering shortly before the fiery explosion.
The pilot and a co-pilot of the shipping company's Airbus A300 were killed early Wednesday when their plane crashed into a grassy field on approach to an airport in Birmingham.
Ryan Wimbleduff, who lives near the airport, said balls of fire rolled toward his property and shook his house.
Authorities say the plane was en route from Louisville, Ky., and the cause of the crash is unclear.
The plane broke into several pieces after impact and scattered wreckage throughout the rural area near the airport.
The National Traffic Safety Board is investigating the crash and have asked anyone with debris on their property to contact them at witness@ntsb-dot-gov.
