A small aircraft crashed into a motel a short distance from an airfield on Friday, killing the pilot and injuring one person on the ground, officials and witnesses said.
Grayson County Coroner Joe Brad Hudson said the pilot was killed on impact and a woman at the inn suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene, The Associated Press reported. NBC station WAVE reported that the pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft.
Tony Tivitt, a worker at the Postal Services office next door to the Pine Tree Inn told NBC News that the plane hit the side of the motel, close to the roof, and that an explosion followed.
Tivitt said emergency response workers brought the fire under control.
The motel is about two-tenths of a mile south of the south end of the Rough River State Park Airport, but it was unclear if the aircraft was coming from or heading to that strip.
The 3,200-foot airstrip is beside Rough River Dam State Resort Park. According to the park website, aviators can fly in and camp near their aircraft. The park also has a lodge.
The weather at the time of the crash was mostly cloudy, with winds 10-15 mph and gusting up over 20 at times, The Weather Channel reported.
Falls of Rough is about 95 miles southwest of Louisville.
