1 Dead in Plane Crash Outside Decatur Airport

Federal officials say the pilot of a small airplane is dead after a crash in central Illinois.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro says the single engine home-built aircraft took off from the Decatur Airport on Thursday afternoon and crashed 1.5 miles east of the airport.

Molinaro says the pilot was the only one on board. The pilot'sname was not released.

The plane was manufactured this year and is called a "Freebird Lite Sport.'' It was destroyed in the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.