Nine people, including two children, dead in South Dakota plane crash, officials say

A plane crash in South Dakota has left nine people dead, including a pilot and two children, officials say.

Twelve people were onboard when the plane went down in rural Brule County en route from Chamberlain to Idaho, Brule County State's Attorney Theresa Maule Rossow said. Survivors were taken to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for treatment. Details on their condition were not immediately available.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of the Pilatus PC-12, but stormy weather is preventing officials from inspecting the scene, said agency spokesman Peter Knudson. The Federal Aviation Administration also has been notified, according to Maule Rossow.

"The men and women of law enforcement, first responders and medical professionals should be commended in their heroic actions to rescue the victims in extreme weather conditions," she said in a statement.

Chamberlain and other parts of South Dakota are under a winter storm warning, according to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls. The Weather Service warned of ice, snow and winds as fast as 40 mph, as stormy weather across the country is predicted to hit millions of travellers returning home after Thanksgiving.

Conditions in Chamberlain could hinder travel, and "patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility," the Weather Service advisory states.

All people onboard the downed plane were from Idaho, Maule Rossow said.

A final report analysing the cause of the crash could take one to two years, but a preliminary report will be out within two weeks, according to Knudson.