Small plane crashes into Florida neighbourhood; pilot dead

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – A pilot died when his small plane struck a tree when it crashed Friday in a Florida neighbourhood, authorities said.

Boynton Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater said the pilot was the only person aboard the single-engine plane when it crashed behind a home at 1:15 p.m. The pilot’s name has not been released.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the Grumman American AA-5 had departed from Lantana Airport, about 3 miles (5 kilometres) north of the crash site in Palm Beach County.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash.