TOKYO - Three people were killed Thursday after a training jet crashed in Hokkaido, the northernmost prefecture of Japan, the public broadcaster NHK said.

The training jet crashed shortly after it took off from the Obihiro Airport Thursday morning. Two coaches and two trainees were on the jet when the accident happened. One of them survived the crash.

The single-engine propeller aircraft belonged to the Civil Aviation College.

Police have started investigation into the cause of the accident.