BELGRADE - Three people aboard a small plane that crashed in a field near here Friday night were able to scramble out of the wreckage before it caught fire, officials said.

A pilot and two passengers were on board when the plane went down, said Brian Crandell, assistant fire chief for the Central Valley Fire Department.

He said they refused medical attention after the 8:45 p.m. crash.

Crandell declined to name the people on board.

As soon as the plane hit the ground, the passengers scrambled out of the wreckage and got a safe distance away from the plane.

"It ignited after they hit the ground," he said.

Because the crash happened outside of the airport, the Gallatin County sheriff's office will investigate, Crandell said.