A pilot died this Monday after the small plane he was driving crashed into a field near Westerly State Airport, in Rhode Island.

The aircraft involved was a single-engine Cessna 172 light aircraft that, according to initial investigations, was trying to land when the pilot would have had to modify the trajectory, WPRI reported.

The accident occurred in an area near Watch Hill, the exclusive coastal area where Taylor Swift owns an eight-bedroom mansion.

Witnesses heard a loud explosion

Residents in the area reported hearing a loud bang at the moment of impact.

A neighbor identified as Kerry Vacca told local media that the noise was “the loudest explosion” she had ever heard in her life.

The wreckage of the aircraft was located on the wooded edge of an open field in front of the airport.

Authorities indicated that the pilot, who was a certified flight instructor and was in his early 20s, was the only person on board the plane.

Authorities investigate the causes of the accident

The pilot was rushed to Westerly Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Weather conditions were favorable at the time of the accident, with clear skies and little wind, according to preliminary reports.

The investigation was carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to local reports, this is the first fatal accident recorded at Westerly Airport since November 2003, when two small planes collided in midair.

The Watch Hill area, known for its luxury residences and for being one of Taylor Swift's vacation retreats, had already made the news in 2025 after human remains appeared on a nearby beach.