SUGAR GROVE, Ill. -- A home-built airplane skidded to a halt Saturday at the Aurora Municipal Airport in west suburban Sugar Grove after it caught fire.

A man in the aircraft took off from the airport at about 12:30 p.m. when the plane caught fire, airport manager Bob Rieser said.

The man attempted to land the aircraft, skidding down the runway for about 1,000 feet and eventually coming to a halt, Rieser said. The man then ran from the burning plane.

"Only the back of his head was singed from the flames," Rieser said.

It was not immediately known whether the man was properly authorized to fly the plane.

The plane was destroyed in the fire, and it was unclear whether the blaze started in the engine or on board, Rieser said.

Airport crews worked for several hours to cleanup following the crash, and investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration were at the scene investigating the cause of the fire.

The airport, located along U.S. Highway 30 Parkway in Sugar Grove, was expected to reopen by 6 p.m., Rieser said.

Aurora Municipal Airport is a private airport focusing on corporate and recreational flights.

Additional information provided by Chicago Sun-Times Inc.