A star of the History channel reality show Ice Road Truckers has been killed in a plane crash in the US.

History channel spokeswoman Susan Ievoli confirmed that 52-year-old Darrell Ward died in the fiery crash in western Montana. Another man also died.

Police said the pilot appeared to be trying to land at a small airstrip when “something went drastically wrong”. Witnesses said the plane went through a stand of trees, hitting some of them.

A statement on Ward’s Facebook page said he was travelling to Montana to begin filming a pilot episode of a new documentary-style show about the recovery of plane wrecks.

Darrell Ward – Timeline | Facebook

The pilot, 56-year-old Mark Melotz, is said to have bought the Cessna 182 on Friday.

Ice Road Truckers follows truckers who take supplies across frozen lakes to work camps and remote towns.