Airport spokesman Dave VanderVeen says the Cessna 172 went down about 1:40 p.m. Friday at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford Township.
Three people aboard the private flight were killed instantly, while the fourth died later at a hospital.
VanderVeen says three of the victims were male and one was female.
VanderVeen says the pilot took off from a runway and reached an altitude of about 100 feet before requesting permission to return. The plane crashed in a field.
The Federal Aviation Administration is en route to the airport and the National Transportation and Safety Board is expected to arrive Saturday.