MONTREAL -- A man in his 50s is dead after a small plane crashed near Lac Barron near the township of Gore Wednesday morning.

The Sûreté du Québec said the crash happened shortly before 8:30 a.m.

Passersby called 911 after hearing the plane, and local firefighters arrived first on the scene. Emergency crews rescued the unconscious man from the aircraft and sent him to hospital, where he was later declared dead. He was the only person aboard the plane, police said.

Police said the major crimes unit is investigating the cause of the crash to rule out any criminal element.

Federal transportation authorities will investigate, as will a Quebec coroner.