The aircraft departed Leipzig Airport, a DHL hub, shortly after 03:00 local time (GMT) and crashed about an hour and a half later, according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.
Flightradar24 told X that flights were continuing at Vilnius Airport while authorities responded to the crash.
Reuters reported that firefighters were seen trying to extinguish smoke from a building 1.3km north of the airport runway.
The cause of the crash is unknown and Lithuanian authorities have launched an investigation.
DHL confirmed that it was the owner of the aircraft and announced that it had made an ’emergency landing’.
Authorities said there is currently no data to suggest there was an explosion before the crash.
Renatas Pozela, head of Lithuania’s fire and emergency services department, said the plane was due to land at Vilnius airport and “crashed a few kilometers away.”
One of the four-member crew died, he added.
Mr Pozzella said nearby homes were “slightly damaged” and nearby infrastructure caught fire, but all residents were safely evacuated.
The plane was a Boeing 737-400, an airport spokeswoman said.
The weather reported before the accident was 0 C (32 F), with clouds forming before sunrise and winds reaching about 30 km/h (19 mph), the Associated Press reported.
The AP added that the aircraft was 31 years old.
