Small plane crashes near Port Orchard, one passenger hospitalized

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. - Officials are working to determine what caused a small plane to crash near Port Orchard in South Kitsap.

The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office and South Kitsap Fire & Rescue responded to the incident just before 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Around 7 p.m., South Kitsap Fire posted on Twitter a photo of a close-up of the plane crash. Officials said one passenger has been removed from the plane and taken to a local trauma center. 

One witness saw the plane crashed in a backyard while working on his roof.

"I jumped off the scafolding and ran towards it and when I got there there's a gentleman and the plane's on fire. He's making a difficult breathing sound and bleeding," said James Drew.

Drew was able to break the plexiglass of the aircraft, reach in and try to help the passenger out. He said it was miraculous the man inside the plane was able to be taken out because of a fire building up around the aircraft.

"If it weren't for the fact that fire and rescue, if they would of been there fire minutes later that guy would have been burned up alive," said Drew.

It was not immediately known what caused the crash or the condition of the passenger. FAA was on scene of the crash and is investigating the incident.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.