PHOENIX - A man has severe burns after a plane he was piloting crashed and caught fire near North 31st Avenue and Deer Valley Road, according to the Phoenix Fire Department. Phoenix Fire said the 50-year-old man was the only passenger in the plane.
The plane nearly hit at least one driver during the crash, firefighters said. According to crews, a bystander pulled the pilot from the plane as the flames engulfed the aircraft.
The pilot was rushed to the hospital and remains in critical condition. Phoenix Fire said the man suffered 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns. Firefighters said the man was awake and talking when he was taken to the hospital.
It is unknown what caused the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane was a single-engine Mooney M20. The plane burst into flames again as crews dismantled and towed the wreckage from the scene.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will handle the investigation. It typically takes the NTSB a year or more to determine a probable cause of an accident.
Deer Valley Road was closed between 31st Avenue and 35th Avenue for an extended period of time, Phoenix PD says.