The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the single-engine Cessna-172R Skyhawk slammed into the ground near Runway 2C at Nashville International Airport some time around 3 AM Tuesday, and caught fire shortly thereafter.
However, it wasn't until a departing plane spotted debris and radioed the tower at 8:45 AM that the wreckage was discovered.
Emergency services arriving at the scene said the pilot — the only person aboard the aircraft — was found dead inside.
So far the only thing the NTSB has been able to confirm is that the plane was registered to the Windsor Flying Club, and was scheduled to land at Pelee Island Airport in Ontario, Canada, on Monday.
It remains unclear how the plane ended up in Nashville or why.
Additionally, the NTSB could not say if the pilot had attempted to make any contact with the tower before crashing, or if he managed to send out a distress call.
According to airport officials, the tower is manned at all times, but the FAA did note that visibility was low Tuesday morning due to dense fog.
The victim's name has not yet been released to the press.