Small plane crashes upside down near Van Nuys Airport; 2 people rescued

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A single-engine Cessna crashed upside down in the Sepulveda Basin early Thursday morning, authorities said.

The crash was reported about 7:10 a.m. in the 15300 block of West Burbank Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot reported engine issues shortly after leaving the airport.

The two people onboard the aircraft, a man and a woman, were pulled out of the plane before fire crews got to the scene. The fire department said they didn't appear have life-threatening injuries.

"Fortunately, there was no fire and there was no need to extricate the patients outside of that aircraft," said LAFD Capt. Erik Scott. "They did have some minor injuries, we did have paramedics provide a rapid assessment, offer them transportation to a hospital, which they declined."

"We're very fortunate that these two patients were able to walk away from this," he added.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.