Small Plane Crashes Into Woods After Takeoff; Pilot Dead

A single-engine plane taking off from a regional airport went off a runway on Saturday morning and then crashed into nearby woods, killing the pilot, authorities said.

The pilot was the only person aboard the plane at Worcester Regional Airport, state police said, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. His name wasn't immediately released.

Police and fire officials said the plane crashed into woods about 300 yards from the airport's control tower. No fire was reported after the crash.

Other details, including the type of aircraft involved, were not immediately released.

Construction worker Dylon DeBoise, who was working near the airport, said the aircraft got only slightly off the ground before crashing.

"It was very low. It looked like it was right above the trees," DeBoise told New England Cable News. "It went up a little bit and then spun over, like almost upside down, and then just went straight down."

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Worcester district attorney's office were investigating, state police said in a statement.

-ABC News