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The single-engine Piper PA22 crashed around 9 p.m. roughly three miles northeast of the Livermore Municipal Airport, according to FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.
According to Gregor, the pilot reported control problems shortly after departing from Livermore Municipal Airport around 9 p.m.
The pilot is thought to have been the only person on board, according to Gregor, but that individual's name was not immediately available.
Alameda County sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson confirmed that the pilot had died, although details about the victim were not immediately available.
The plane's tail-number has not yet been released, but authorities say that shortly after it took off from the airport the pilot reported experiencing control problems, according to Gregor.
The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into what caused the plane to crash.