Four people were killed Wednesday when their small plane crashed in a wooded area of Manahawkin.

Wreckage of the single-engine plane was found off Route 72 east of the Garden State Parkway. Police say reports of noise and plane debris indicate the plane may have exploded. Residents on the ground reported hearing the plane's engine cut out, followed by a large boom. Police have recovered all four bodies.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials say the plane, a Piper Dakota PA28, was registered to Aviron Aviation in North Plainfield. The pilot, Ron Ziv, lived in Basking Ridge with his wife, Rachel. The FAA could not confirm Ziv's wife was on the plane. Neighbors did report seeing both the husband and wife leave their home this morning.

The couple has two teen sons. According to the manager of Ziv's office building, the pilot was in the orange juice commodity business.

Related informationNews 12 New Jersey's coverage of the plane's pilot