LOCAL : Valley Plane Crash Injures 2

A light plane clipped a power line and crashed onto a San Fernando street while attempting to land at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, seriously injuring the pilot and his passenger, authorities said.

The pilot, Tony Ast, 31, a resident of the San Fernando Valley, had reported engine trouble moments before the Cessna 152 crashed at 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said today.

Ast and his passenger, Petra Yearwood, 32, also a Valley resident, suffered broken bones and were listed in serious condition at Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, hospital spokeswoman Maggie Cessar said.

Ast was in surgery this morning, Cessar said, and Yearwood, who suffered a concussion and a possible spinal fracture, was expected to undergo surgery this afternoon.

The plane nose-dived onto Truman Street at the intersection with Wolfskill Street after clipping a power line, San Fernando Police Sgt. William Miron said. The plane sustained major damage to its front end but did not erupt in flames, officials said.