HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash of a small plane in South Florida that was registered to a man with Maine ties. The pilot, the only one aboard, died in the crash.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said the experimental aircraft crashed during takeoff Monday night in Pembroke Pines. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel quoted a family member as identifying the victim as Douglas A. Pohl of Jupiter, the pilot who had built the plane from a kit.

It was not clear what caused the crash.

According to the Sun Journal of Lewiston, Maine, Pohl was the owner of Silver Wings Aviation at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport in Maine.

The newspaper said the plane landed on a fence separating North Perry Airport from nearby tennis courts, then burst into flames. The aircraft was so twisted and charred it was impossible to distinguish the tail from the nose.

Pohl is listed under a Jupiter, Fla., address, but state records show he works as a pathologist in Miramar. Police said an autopsy had been conducted but was unable to identify the victim or reveal any contributing cause to the crash.

Self-made aircraft, which are also called experimental planes, must pass rigorous inspections and tests before they’re certified, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen told the Sun Journal. Federal records show that Pohl built and registered the plane in 2000. He had built experimental aircraft previously.

Larry Cappolino, a mechanic with an aviation company based out of North Perry Airport, said Pohl used the plane to get to work. He recently replaced the plane’s engine with a motor taken from a Chevy Corvette.

“That’s a high-performance engine,” said Cappolino. “It can make a plane go 200 mph plus.”