Plane crashes near Daniel Field in Augusta, pilot confirmed dead

A quiet Thursday morning quickly became explosive when a single-engine plane crashed in an Augusta neighborhood.

Richmond County sheriff's Sgt. Caleb Lee reported the accident at 7:52 a.m., saying the plane had taken off from Daniel Field and was returning to the airfield when it hit a tree and crashed in a residential area near Hillcrest Avenue and Belmont Road.

Augusta Fire/EMA Chief Antonio Burden said one death has been confirmed, and it was later confirmed by Augusta Coroner Mark Bowen that it was the pilot. The identity of the pilot wasn't immediately released on Thursday. Fires erupted on the scene, but were contained and extinguished by firefighters.

The FAA released a statement at 10:40 a.m. confirming the crash involved a single-engine Beechcraft 36 at around 7:10 a.m. Only the pilot was on board.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate with the NTSB taking lead and providing updates. A preliminary incident report will likely be posted within the next business day on asias.faa.gov. After investigators verify the plane's registration number, it can be found on registry.faa.gov.

There have been reports of nearby power outages as a result of the crash, and according to Georgia Power's Outage Map, 58 outages have been reported.

The intersection of Hillcrest Avenue at Belmont Drive will be closed for the next 48 hours, noted authorities. Anyone traveling through the area should take alternative routes.

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This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Airplane crash from Augusta's Daniel Field at Hillcrest Ave, Belmont Rd