1 dead after plane crashes into tree in north Georgia

BLUE RIDGE, Ga. - One person aboard a small plane was killed after the aircraft crashed into a tree near an airport in north Georgia on late Sunday morning.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, said the plane collided with a tree just short of the Blue Ridge Skyport Airport, in the mountain town of Blue Ridge. The pilot was the only person on board.

"There was only one person on board, and they sustained fatal injuries. We are still in the very early stages of the investigation," Sarah Taylor Sulick, a spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, told the Associated Press. "Investigators should arrive on site by tomorrow morning to start the on-scene portion of the investigation."

A preliminary report with more information about the crash is expected to become available within the next few days. 

Sulick told the AP a probable cause of the crash might not be determined until a final report is issued in 12 to 24 months.

Officials have not released the identity of the pilot or any information on the aircraft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.