The pilot was killed and his lone passenger was badly injured when a small plane crashed near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on Saturday, authorities said.

The Seawind 3000 aircraft, a composite, four-seat, amphibian, went down on New College of Florida property near the R.V Heiser Natural Science Complex around 3:30 p.m., said Fredrick (Rick) J. Piccolo, president and CEO of the airport.

According to Bay News 9's partner paper The Bradenton Herald, witnesses to the crash said they saw the plane clip a tree and erupt in flames before crashing to the ground behind the science complex. Smoke billowed from the area as firefighters extinguished the flames, leaving behind a heap of charred metal.

Richard Parker said he ran over to find the passenger on fire and told him to drop and roll, but couldn't save the pilot.

"The pilot was still alive and he was calling out for me but it looked like he was trapped, he was pinned, and he was pretty well engulfed in flames at that point, I could only get about four or five feet away from him, I got a little burn on my face but I just had to tell him I was sorry and couldn't do anything," Parker said.

The plane crossed U.S. 41, but went down just across the street from the end of the runway.

The survivor, whose name has not been released, is a 63-year-old man from Michigan, Capt. Susan Pearson, spokeswoman for the Sarasota Fire Department, said. He was airlifted from the scene and taken to the burn unit at Tampa General Hospital.

“He sustained second and third degree burns over most of his body, but he was conscious and is in critical condition,” Pearson said.

The pilot was dead when responders arrived on scene, but witnesses said he lived through the impact. He is from out of town, but no other information is available.

Fredrick J. Piccolo, president and CEO of the airport, said he doesn’t believe a flight plan was filed.

“I think they were just flying locally,” Piccolo said. “My understanding is they just had trouble with the engine. It wasn’t getting lift.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.