A pilot has died after his small twin-engine cargo plane crashed into a bungalow in Chicago.

Two people in the home were not hurt, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

The pilot was killed and emergency crews are trying to recover his body, Assistant Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Michael Fox said.

The Aero Commander 500 slammed into the front of the bungalow and plunged into the basement, leaving only the tail exposed outside.

Mr Langford said there was no fire or explosion.

The plane crashed shortly after taking off from Midway International Airport. It was headed to Ohio State University Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory says the pilot reported engine trouble and asked to return to Midway, but crashed about a quarter of a mile short of the runway.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

The home's two residents were asleep when the crash happened at about 2.40am local time. Both told first responders they were fine and refused any medical attention.

Mr Fox said: "It's very lucky. They were in a bedroom next to the living room and the living room is gone."