Small plane crashes on soccer field in San Pedro; flight instructor, student critically injured

SAN PEDRIO, Calif. (KABC) -- A small plane crashed onto a soccer field in San Pedro Monday afternoon, leaving a flight instructor and a student critically injured, officials said.

A single-engine Sling 4 TSI was involved in a "high-impact crash" shortly before 1 p.m. at the Field of Dreams soccer complex on Westmont Drive, just northwest of the 110 Freeway, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Two bystanders who were at the scene when the plane came down were able to pull the passenger out of the aircraft, investigators said. The pilot was still inside the plane when firefighters arrived.

Both the instructor and the student - who were identified only as a 45-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman by the National Transportation Safety Board - were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

While fuel did leak onto the ground, LAFD said no fire was reported and no one on the ground was injured. Firefighters worked with Watershed Protection to ensure safe mitigation of the hazard.

The NTSB and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) are leading the investigation.