Pilot dead in small plane crash in coastal Georgia

A small plane crashed and caught fire on St. Simons Island, killing the pilot.

Authorities say it happened around 9:25 a.m. Saturday on the island's north end.

Glynn County Police Chief Brian Scott says the single-engine plane took off from Savannah, about 70 miles south, and was en route to McKinnon St. Simons Airport. After the fire was put out, blackened pieces of the plane were scattered along a wooded area with trees blackened by the fire.

Scott says no homes or bystanders were affected by the crash.

Authorities have identified the pilot as 80-year-old Roger Crane.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating to determine what caused the accident.