Clay County deputies investigated the crash of an ultralight aircraft Thursday night. The pilot suffered severe burns from the crash.

The Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at 7:29 pm about a plane crash with the pilot and sole occupant injured. The aircraft had taken off from Liberty Landing Airport, 20424 E. Old 210 Highway, a small airstrip between Liberty and Missouri City adjacent to the Missouri River.

The pilot was able to get out of the burning aircraft and walk back to the airport, where a bystander called 911. An ambulance transported him to the hospital with severe burns.

Before being transported to the hospital, the pilot told deputies the aircraft caught fire while he was in the air.

It took deputies and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department's helicopter more than an hour to locate the wrecked ultralight in a nearby cornfield. Smoke was still coming from the aircraft. Firefighters from the Fishing River Fire District and Liberty Fire Department responded to contain the fire.

Adjacent railroad tracks have been shut down during the investigation as they may have sustained damage from the crash. The NTSB has joined the FAA in the investigation and they have arrived on scene.

The pilot remains in critical condition at an area burn center.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story