LEBANON, N.H. – The Federal Aviation Administration says a single-engine plane has crashed near a New Hampshire airport, killing the pilot.

FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said the pilot was the only person aboard the Cessna 172 when it crashed Thursday afternoon in Lebanon. The pilot’s identity is still unknown.

Salac said the plane took off from Lebanon Airport and then turned around to return to the airport but crashed 500 feet from a runway. She said it’s unclear why the plane turned back.

Salac said the plane is registered to a man in Peterborough, N.H., 70 miles south of Lebanon.