MONTROSE (AP) - Authorities say a man died after the small aircraft he was flying crashed in a northeast Pennsylvania field.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the single-engine McHugh Tony Kitfox Model 1 plane went down in Bridgewater Township at about 7 p.m. Friday. Officials said the pilot was apparently trying to touch down at a private landing strip in Montrose.

State police in Susquehanna County identified 66-year-old Rodney Hunsinger as the pilot killed in the crash. He was the only person aboard.

The FAA initially termed the crash accidental and said the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the probable cause.

Tammy Jones Morris of Montrose called Hunsinger a person "who always helped the community." Teresa Whitney of Montrose called his death a "big, big loss to the community."