GARY — Authorities say the pilot of a plane has died after crashing in Gary about a mile south of the Gary/Chicago International Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory says in a recorded statement the single-engine Cirrus SR22 aircraft crashed Wednesday morning south of the airport bordering the Indiana Toll Road.
Cory says the person aboard was killed.
The plane had left Smyrna, Tenn., Wednesday morning.
Lake County Coroner's Office spokeswoman Jessica Metros says a coroner has been unable to access the crash site because hazardous materials are present.
Neighborhood resident Hattie James says the plane landed behind a fire station and a charter school.
Gary police spokesman Cpl. Gabrielle King describes the scene as "chaotic."
