Three people were killed today when a military plane crashed into a residential area in Indonesia's East Java province, officials said.

The Embraer Super Tucano attack aircraft was on a test flight after routine maintenance when it went down in the town of Malang, the Air Force said.

"Three people died," Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said, according to Metro TV online .

Local Air Force spokesperson Major Hamdi Londong said the pilot and two people on the ground were killed, while the aircraft's technician was missing.

- dpa