One person killed, after a single-engine aircraft crashes in an empty field south of Denver.

A small plane has crashed in an empty field near a shopping center south of Denver, leaving one person dead.

A Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy said the victim of the Saturday afternoon crash was believed to be the pilot, the only person believed to be aboard. Teller said his department had no reports of anyone on the ground being injured. He said it was not yet clear from where the plane took off or where it was headed. The pilot was later identified as James Peoples, 60.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said the plane was a Sonerai, a type of aircraft designed to be built in a home workshop. The spokesman said the plane sustained substantial damage.

Kenitzer says the FAA and the National Transportation and Safety Board are investigating.