Birmingham International Airport is expected to remain closed until at least Sunday after a private jet crashed yesterday shortly after take-off killing all five on board.

Birmingham Airport managing director Brian Summers has told a news conference that the passengers on the crashed Challenger jet were US citizens who had been on business in the area.

There are reports that the jet which crashed at Birmingham International airport clipped a wing on the runway as it prepared for take-off. The plane did not take to the air.

It is now thought that all five people aboard a Challenger aircraft which crashed at Birmingham airport were killed.

A private aircraft has crashed on take-off from Birmingham Airport today.