A small plane crashed Monday in a field near the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, but the two occupants were expected to survive, authorities said.
The single-engine SportCruiser went down just before 3:30 p.m. at Washington Street and Miles Avenue, according to sheriff's Deputy Herlinda Valenzuela.
The pilot and passenger were taken to a hospital with moderate to major injuries said Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.
According to Valenzuela, the pair's injuries did not appear to be life- threatening.
A hazardous materials team and environmental health officials were dispatched to clean up a small fuel leak, Hagemann said.
David Shapiro, the plane's owner and founder of the flight school Desert West Aviation, said two "experienced pilots" were in the plane, which was heavily damaged.
The plane, which is registered to the flight school but did not have a student aboard, is listed for rent for $105 an hour on the company's Web site. The plane departed from Palm Springs International Airport for a short flight and had been scheduled to return to the same airport, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
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The FAA will investigate why the SportCruiser's engine reportedly lost power, Gregor said.
