A North Okanagan resident is dead following a plane crash.

An ultra-light aircraft crashed at the Vernon Regional Airport Monday, killing the pilot, a 78-year-old Vernon man.

Corporal Doug Haftner says the plane crashed around 1:30 p.m.

"There is some indication of mechanical problems, based on how the aircraft was flying just before the crash," says Haftner.

He says the scene has been turned over to the Coroner and Transport Canada has been advised.

Airport manager, Grahame Go, says the crash has not affected landings or departures at the airport.

“The crash didn’t occur on a runway, it happened on an access ramp area,” says Go.

Editor's note: We have removed the original file photo we posted with this story. The plane shown was not related to the story and was used to illustrate the fact the story was about aviation. Despite the photo we showed not being an ultra-light aircraft, the photo was blurred with a photo editing tool, and there were no identifiable visible markings to us, some readers were confused by it.

Listen to crash eye witness Don King describe what he saw.