ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va – Federal authorities are investigating what caused Wednesday evening’s plane crash in western Rockingham County.

The plane left Winchester shortly after 5:30 and was headed to Alabama when it went down in the Clover Hill area.

Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson explained multiple agencies joined in the search and were finally able to find the wreckage early Thursday morning in mountainous terraine.

Hutcheson added that the pilot was the lone occupant of the plane and he died at the scene. His name was not released only to say that he was from Alabama.

Hutcheson said there was snow on the ground where the plane was located, which leads to speculation that weather may have been a factor in the crash.