The plane departed from Concord Buchanan
Field at 4:50 p.m. and crashed shortly after takeoff, Federal Aviation
Administration operations office Bruce Nelson said.
The plane was destroyed in the crash and
firefighters from the Contra Costa County Fire Department quickly put
out a small blaze on the highway.
The pilot and his son were not injured in
the crash, although five passengers in a van hit by the plane were hurt.
Four adults were treated for minor injuries, while an 11-year-old girl
was taken to Children's Hospital in Oakland where she underwent surgery
on her leg.
A nursing supervisor said she was in
serious but stable condition Tuesday night.
The accident causing major delays in the
rush-hour commute.