Bessemer (Alabama), Mar 27 (AP) An investigation is underway after a small plane crashed in Alabama, injuring the pilot.

The crash happened Friday about 4:15 pm at the Bessemer Municipal Airport, multiple news agencies reported.

Police and other first responders said the 52-year-old pilot was the only person in the fixed-wing aircraft. The pilot had to be extricated from the wreckage and suffered a compound ankle fracture.

Authorities said the pilot, whose name has not been released, was trying to land when there was an issue with the plane's landing gear. The pilot ended up crashing off the runway.

The pilot was taken to UAB Hospital's Trauma Center in Birmingham for treatment. “He was conscious and talking,'' said Bessemer police Lt. Christian Clemons.

Authorities said the plane was heavily damaged in the crash.(AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)