Pilot killed as small plane crashes and burns on doorstep of shopping centre in Plano, Texas

A small plane crashed and burned Tuesday on the doorstep of a strip mall in Texas, killing the pilot and causing a nearby car to catch fire, but nobody on the ground was injured, authorities said.

The single-engine Mooney M20, with just the pilot aboard, went down at about 6 pm north of Air Park-Dallas Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Photos from the scene showed the wreckage in a parking space next to a nail salon and diner just outside of the shopping centre in the Dallas suburb of Plano.

The crash caused a parked car to catch fire, but nobody was inside the vehicle, authorities said.

Police confirmed the pilot died at the scene.

The cause of the crash was under investigation. It wasn't immediately clear whether the plane was taking off or trying to land at the small suburban airport, which has a single runway.

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