The victim

of Wednesday afternoon's fatal ultralight plane crash in Tyrone has been

identified as John Kelly Bass, 32, of Tyrone.

Tyrone Police

Chief Roger Spencer said Bass had taken off from a makeshift airstrip

near the cabin where he lived at the end of Laurelwood Drive. Several

witnesses saw the aircraft fly low above the trees before banking to the

right and falling into the woods, Spencer said. One of the witnesses heard

the crash and called 911, he added.

"They

saw him pass over several trees real low and vanish," Spencer said.

It took less

than a half-hour to locate the plane with the assistance of a helicopter

from Phoenix Aircare, said Capt. Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department

of Fire and Emergency Services. Getting to Bass, however, was difficult

since the plane was lodged in a tree at an estimated 40 feet off the ground.

An employee

from Chief's Tree Service was called in and scaled the tree to free Bass

from the wreckage, Nelms said. The area was so heavily wooded that it

left rescuers with few options, Nelms said.

Bass was pronounced

dead at the scene by the Fayette County Coroner's Office.

Spencer said

witnesses reported that they had previously only seen Bass pilot the aircraft

up and down the makeshift airstrip.

"I had

seen him a couple of times take it from one end of the airstrip to the

other and fly 5 feet off the ground and come back down," Spencer

said. "I had not really seen him go airborne.

The plane is

reportedly 26 years old, Spencer said. It was equipped with an engine,

a rudder and other controls, he added.

Several years

ago, another ultralight plane crashed in Tyrone, but the victim survived

after stalling the aircraft and crashing into a wooded area.