A small plane crashes into a wooded area near the N.J. Airport.

UPDATE: The pilot remains trapped in a plane that crashed on the treetops near the N.J. airport.

A small plane crashed Tuesday afternoon in a forested area near the Central Jersey Regional Airport in Somerset County, officials said.

The plane crashed just east of Hillsborough Airport around 12:15 pm. FAA officials said the pilot was able to escape from the plane. Officials at the scene said the plane was caught in trees about 20 meters above the ground. There was no immediate word on the wounds.

"The pilot, who was the only person on board, was evacuated from the plane," FAA officials said in a statement. "We do not have the type or registration of the plane yet. The FAA will conduct an investigation and the NTSB will determine the probable cause of the accident. "

The tail number of the aircraft indicates that it is a Cessna 172 and that its last registration registered it with a company located at the airport.

A Hillsborough official said the plane had crashed just inside the nearby Manville border. Emergency workers gather near the intersection of Schmidt Street and Millstone River Road.

An employee of Foccacia Pizza & Pasta, located a few meters from the runway at the airport, said he could not see much of the restaurant. "They (the rescuers) were here but they left," she said.

A woman who answered the phone at the airport said that no one was available to discuss the incident.

The private airport is just off Route 533 and has a unique runway. The roads surrounding the airport have been closed to traffic.

The Manville police refused to comment when she was contacted by phone.

Jeff Goldman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman