A pilot was hospitalized yesterday afternoon after crashing a small plane in Chehalis.

The crash was reported around 12:14 p.m. just south of the Chehalis-Centralia Airport, near the Chehalis River and State Route 6. First responders found a 55-year-old man critically injured inside the aircraft. He was airlifted to the hospital by Life Flight.

According to the Chehalis Police Department, the plane was an “experimental aircraft” and appeared to be a small single-engine model. Police said drugs and alcohol do not appear to be factors. No other passengers were on board, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.