PASADENA, Calif. -- A small plane with engine failure that crashed on a freeway, clipped a vehicle and left two people onboard the aircraft injured but in stable condition, authorities said Saturday.

 

The plane flipped on its back as it hit the ground, NBC4 reported.

The crash late Friday closed sections of the heavily traveled Ventura Freeway (134) for about five hours as crews removed the wreckage and also cleaned up a small fuel leak, said fire Capt. Ed Cowan.

 

Traffic lanes in both directions reopened at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, said Officer David Porter of the California Highway Patrol.

 

The plane, which was flying from Sacramento to Fullerton, had engine failure due to a fuel problem, Cowan said. He obtained that information from the female passenger, who was taken to a hospital in stable condition with neck pain.

 

The male pilot initially was taken to a hospital in serious condition with cuts to his head and left eye, but his condition was downgraded to stable following treatment, the fire captain said.

 

Only two people were on board the 1952 Beech Bonanza V35 when it crashed shortly after 11 p.m. Friday on the freeway's westbound lanes.

One of the plane's wings clipped a jeep traveling on the freeway, but its driver was not injured, Cowan said.

 

The plane contained 22 gallons of fuel when it crashed. There was no fire or explosion.

"The good fortune is at this time of night there's not a lot of freeway traffic," Cowan said. "It could have been worse than it was."