A small plane crashed this morning at kilometer 31.8 of highway PR-110 in the Maleza Alta neighborhood, in Aguadilla , in a residential area, leaving the pilot dead , confirmed the press office of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.

The deceased was identified by relatives who arrived at the tragic scene as Wilfredo Juarbe Saldaña , 47 years old and resident in Luquillo.

Several alert calls were received at approximately 9:35 am today through the 9-1-1 Emergency System reporting that the aircraft had been sighted in a nosedive emitting black smoke and that it had hit a structure.

The director of the Homicide Division of the Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) of Aguadilla, Lieutenant Orlando Camacho, detailed that at approximately 9:30 am today, Thursday, the Cessna plane took off from the Rafael Hernández airport in that municipality, after it was repaired to transfer it to the Isla Grande Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci airport . Not even five minutes passed when it tried to return, but it crashed.

"The plane took off from Aguadilla airport heading to Isla Grande and crashed in the community of San Antonio . There was only one passenger and he (the pilot) lost his life," Camacho said. The body was partially charred.

Initially, the report said that one person had been injured with lacerations. The man was riding his bicycle and fell to the pavement when the accident occurred.

"We are providing support, we are in charge of helping with the removal of the body and its transfer to the Institute of Forensic Sciences," said the lieutenant.

Agent Juan Acevedo Rosado and prosecutor Belinda Brignoni investigated that aspect of the scene.

Personnel from the Air Rescue Unit of the Aguadilla airport responded to the emergency situation together with the Municipal Emergency Management Office, the Fire Department Bureau and other security agencies.

The National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of investigating the plane crash.