Five members of a family died Saturday morning when a small plane crashed at an airport in Brussels, Belgium, an airport spokesman said.

The plane is thought to have crashed as it sought to make an emergency landing after encountering problems shortly after takeoff, said David Gering, spokesman for the Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

"We know it was a family of five who were all of Belgian nationality," Gering said. He did not give the victims' ages.

The airport was shut down, with flights diverted, delayed or canceled, he said, while accident investigators examined the crash scene. It was expected to reopen Saturday afternoon.

The aircraft that crashed was a privately-owned five-seater Cessna.