ALMATY, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A light plane crashed in the Tselinograd district of Kazakhstan's Akmola region on Sunday, killing the pilot and a passenger, said the country's transport ministry.

An Aerostar R40F UP-LA229 aircraft crashed during a general aviation flight without catching fire, said the ministry's press service.

"In line with the Rules for the Investigation of Aviation Accidents, a commission has been established. Staff from the ministry's department for the investigation of accidents have been dispatched to the crash site," said the service.

The regional healthcare department confirmed that two people, a man and a woman, died at the scene before medical teams arrived. ■