Two Italian competitive swimmers died on Sunday when their ultralight aircraft crashed after take-off, the Italian swimming federation (FIN) confirmed.

Fabio Lombini, 22, and Gioele Rossetti, 23, were killed when their plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after take-off from the Crazy Fly flight school at Nettuno, 60km south of Rome.

"The Federation, distraught and stunned, expresses its deepest condolences to family, friends and clubs," the FIN said in a statement, adding that Rossetti appeared to be piloting the plane.

Lombini was taking part in a three-day training camp at the Italian national swimming complex at nearby Ostia.

He was a 200m freestyle specialist, participating in the Taipei Universiade in 2017, the year he won silver in the Italian swimming championships, and was a finalist in the European short course championships in Copenhagen in 2017.

Rossetti had success at youth level in Italy.