Bruce Smith, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, had just taken off in the Temco GC-1B Swift about 1 p.m. when he radioed the control tower he was having problems with the aircraft.

"Witnesses said the plane was wobbling back and forth," New Smyrna Beach Police Cmdr. Bill Drossman said.

Smith banked back to the west and brought the two-seater down on its landing gear, but it bounced, the witnesses told police. The plane went into the tree line bordering the runway, where it caught a wingtip and spun 180 degrees before coming to rest on its side against a tree.

The impact crumpled the 55-year-old aircraft like a ball of foil, ripping its nose off and exposing the cockpit.

Smith suffered head injuries and was treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel.

"He never regained consciousness," New Smyrna Beach Fire spokeswoman Lt. Cindy Richenberg said.

Smith was taken by sheriff's helicopter to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where he later died, Drossman said.

Witnesses at the crash scene declined to talk with reporters.

Smith's unidentified son was also at the crash site on the southwest side of the airport but was unavailable for comment. Attempts to reach him at the hospital were also unsuccessful.

New Smyrna Beach airport officials said they believe Smith was flying to an airport in Edgewater, where he planned to store the aircraft. It had previously been stored at Four Winds Aircraft on the municipal airport property.

Personnel at Four Winds declined to comment Friday afternoon.

According to Federal Aviation Administration documents, the aircraft was registered to Euro Wings Inc. of Wilmington, Del.

Federal investigators were at the accident scene Friday afternoon.

"It is premature to speculate on a cause," said Kathleen Bergen, FAA spokeswoman.

mark.johnson@news-jrnl.com