A small plane seen "spinning around" in the sky crashed southeast of Albany International Airport on Monday morning, killing the pilot.

KASI Aviation Services identified the person killed in the crash as Natalie Gillis, a 34-year-old Canadian pilot.

Colonie Police Deputy Chief Robert Winn said Monday morning that the crash happened around 8:15 a.m. in a wooded area adjoining Maxwell Road in Colonie, on the property of Colonie Town Library. A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration says the plane was a twin-engine Piper PA-31 Navajo with just the pilot, a female, on board; it crashed "near the end of the runway" at the airport.

“No indications right now that it's anything other than an accident or a crash, but way too early to tell,” Winn said.

Federal authorities are investigating the crash. The NTSB intends to publish a preliminary report in the coming weeks.

People in the residential area saw the aircraft flying before it crashed.

“This was only a matter of seconds,” said Larry Pozefsky, who witnessed the Monday morning crash. “I was afraid for my neighbors. I was afraid for me.”

Pozefsky continued, “The plane banked very extremely, rolled and avoided these houses.”

Albany International Airport said Monday morning that the plane was a Canada-based "privately owned aircraft crash," and had arrived at the airport Sunday afternoon. It took off shortly after 8 a.m. Monday, bound for Montreal.

“A female Latham resident was walking her dog and believes she was struck by some debris," Winn said. "She was checked out by EMS and refused transport to the hospital and is home now.”

Winn said Colonie Police and EMS crews responded with Albany International Airport and Shaker Road fire departments. The fire was extinguished quickly, Winn added, but the pilot had died.

Residents tell Spectrum News 1 they saw and heard a low-flying aircraft making a banking turn in an apparent maneuver to avoid homes below.

Some residents recalled hearing an explosion.

“This was too noisy," said Perkas Sint. Was it a bomb or something? I looked out and saw all the smoke and fire.”

Airport spokesman Steve Smith said the aircraft arrived at Albany airport at around noon Sunday, fueled up this morning and departed.

Albany International Airport posted on social media that there's no impact on commercial service. Police are asking people to avoid the area of the crash, saying Maxwell Road is closed from Albany Shaker Road to Old Niskayuna Road. Winn said those closures will be "for the foreseeable future."

Police added that the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are en route to the crash site and will soon take over the investigation. Colonie Town Supervisor Peter Crummey said the library will reopen at approximately 1 p.m.

Witnesses are asked to contact the Colonie Police Investigations Division at (518) 783-2754.