Ultralight aircraft crashes in South Jersey; pilot identified

VINELAND, New Jersey (WPVI) -- An ultralight aircraft crashed Monday afternoon killing the pilot near the Vineland-Downstown Airport in Franklin Township, New Jersey.

It happened around 12:45 p.m. near Tuckahoe Road and Harding Highway.

According to the Franklin Township Police Department, 64-year-old Gerard Asselta, who was the only person on board the aircraft, took off from a private residence in Vineland.

He was later found dead after crashing in a wooded area off Tuckahoe Road in Franklin Township.

Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft in the area of Downstown Airport, but it's unclear if Asselta was trying to land before the crash occurred.

The Federal Aviation Administration and local authorities are working to determine the cause of the accident.