(CNN) A small plane crashed Saturday near a California highway, killing the pilot, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

The crash was reported about 10:12 a.m. (1:12 p.m. ET) east of the 14 Freeway near Santa Clarita. When first responders arrived, the aircraft was engulfed in flames, authorities said.

The pilot was the only person aboard the aircraft and died in the crash, the sheriff's department said. Authorities have not identified the pilot.

A woman who was hiking in the area at the time told CNN affiliate KTLA she saw the plane clip a tree and crash near the freeway.

"The next thing we saw was a big black cloud of smoke," Courtney Gonzales told KTLA.

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