The pilot who died in a plane crash Wednesday while apparently trying to land at Meadow Lake Airport in Falcon was a doctor at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, a hospital spokeswoman said.

John Odell, 46, crashed in a single-engine Cessna T210 Wednesday about 11:30 a.m. on McCandlish Road between Garrett Road and Falcon Highway. The plane caught fire soon after, authorities say.

Brian Erling, CEO of Centura-Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, issued the following statement Saturday:

“Dr. John Odell was a dedicated and loyal member of our Centura Health and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services communities for 15 years and this loss is deeply felt by every caregiver in our hospitals.

“Dr. Odell forged genuine and meaningful relationships and connections with so many of his colleagues and patients throughout his career, as he devotedly cared for our communities and neighbors.

“Our deepest and most heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and loved ones, and all our caregivers who are grieving this painful loss.”

Odell was the only person on the plane. He had a hangar at Meadow Lake, and had taken off from Colorado Springs Airport, said Meadow Lake Airport Manager Dave Elliott.

According to Elliot, no distress calls were received before the crash.

Witnesses said the pilot appeared to be attempting to land when the plane flipped over and came to rest upside down, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Odell was dead inside the plane when emergency crews arrived, authorities said.

Odell had been affiliated with Centura-Penrose-St. Francis Health Services since 2005, according to Penrose-St. Francis Health Services spokeswoman Andrea Sinclair. 

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.