Pilot dies in small plane crash at Battle Creek airport

Authorities say the pilot of a small plane has died after a crash at a southwestern Michigan airport.

The plane crashed Thursday evening at Battle Creek’s W.K. Kellogg Airport, killing 48-year-old William Pergerson II. He was the lone occupant.

Officials say he took off from the airport, began experiencing difficulty and tried to land the plane. On the second landing attempt, the plane crashed into a grassy field near a runway.

Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. The airport was closed late Thursday and early Friday.  (AP)