1 Dead After Small Plane Crashes Near Property Owned by Buffalo Bills Player Dion Dawkins

One person was killed when a plane crashed in East Aurora, N.Y., near property owned by Buffalo Bills player Dion Dawkins on Thursday, Nov. 19.

The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, was the only person onboard, according to an East Aurora Police press conference.

At 11:16 a.m. local time, Buffalo Niagara International Airport issued an alert that a single-engine plane had mechanical issues, officials said during the press conference. The plane's flight originated in Lansing, Mich., and was en route to White Plains, N.Y., but landed 353 miles northwest of the destination, in East Aurora — which is 20 miles southeast of Buffalo.

The pilot called an emergency line, and the local air traffic controller tower directed him to the closest airport, which would have been Buffalo Niagara International Airport. The airport chief, William Major, confirmed the team was standing by for his arrival.

At 11:22 a.m., the East Road fire control dispatch center received a 911 call about a small plane crash in “a small wooded area” near a number of residences — one of which is owned by Dawkins, authorities confirmed. At 11:29 a.m., the fire chief arrived on site. Both the East Road Fire Department and Jamison Road Fire Department responded and worked to put out the fire, which took around 30 minutes.

Related: 'Several' Dead After Small Plane Crashes Into Florida Mobile Home Park

After the team's practice on Thursday, Dawkins said that his prayers were with the family of the pilot.

"I just hope that the pilot's family is OK. I hope that they're doing all right, because somebody lost their life today," he said. "And I'm glad that my family is perfectly fine. The alarm systems, the security guards that are there and all other people that are involved that help keep us safe."

Dawkins, who was preparing for practice when he found out about the crash, went on to clarify that he does not live at the property, but that his partner was around to check the mail, according to ESPN.

One neighbor told WKBW she was in her kitchen when she saw “a big cloud of black smoke.”

“I went down there and I saw smoke. I figured something was on fire, but I wasn't expecting a plane crash,” she added.

Related: Flight School Owner, Instructor and Student Pilot Killed in Massachusetts Small Plane Crash

“Our people, our detectives, our officers, are on the ground, working with other agencies, assistants, and we're interviewing the neighborhood, the callers, anybody that might have seen something,” East Aurora Police Chief Patrick Welch said in the press conference.

“The FAA and NTSB will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates,” the FAA confirmed to PEOPLE.

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Representatives for the Buffalo Bills and East Aurora Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information.

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