DANVILLE, Va. – The pilot of a small plane died in a crash near Danville Regional Airport Tuesday afternoon.

According to Virginia State Police, the small plane departed from the Danville Regional Airport at around 10 a.m. At around 2 p.m., crews lost contact with the plane.

The plane was a Cessna 310.

The small aircraft crashed in a wooded area off Cardwell Lane in Ringgold near the North Carolina border. It was found by rescue teams using aerial surveillance.

Officials say the pilot of the plane was pronounced dead at the scene. The plane left the Danville airport with one passenger on board.

The pilot is the only known victim at this time.

Ringgold Fire & Rescue, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management responded to the initial call for assistance.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have been called to the scene and will handle the investigation.