Plane crashes in NH; pilot dead

LEBANON, N.H. — The Federal Aviation Administration says a single-engine plane has crashed near a New Hampshire airport, killing the pilot.

FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac says the pilot was the only person aboard the Cessna 172 when it crashed Thursday afternoon in Lebanon, a city on the Connecticut River. The pilot’s identity is unknown.

Salac says the plane took off from Lebanon Airport and then turned around to return to the airport but crashed 500 feet from a runway. She says it’s unclear why the plane turned back.

Salac initially said the plane was registered to a business in Ogden, Utah, based on incorrect tail numbers she was given from someone at the scene. She says the plane is registered to a man in Peterborough, N.H., 70 miles south of Lebanon.