Rescuers were on their way to the crash site near the 12,700-foot (3,800-meter) -high Salang Pass, a major route through the Hindu Kush mountains that connects the capital to the north.
Airport Police Chief Mohammad Asif Jabar Khil said the plane went down about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from Kabul.
Police chief Abdul Razaq Yabyaqoubi of northern Kunduz province said the plane left there at 8:30 a.m. Monday, but never arrived in the capital.
Neither official could immediately say who operated the flight.
Col. Wayne Shanks, a spokesman for U.S. and NATO forces, said the international force has sent aircraft to help in the search.