4 Uninjured in Crash of Biplane

An antique biplane flying from Camarillo Airport on Saturday afternoon lost power shortly after takeoff and crashed into a freshly plowed field between Somis and Moorpark, officials said. The pilot and his three passengers were uninjured, officials said.

Pilot John Schmidt of Northridge was headed toward Palmdale about 12:45 p.m. when his plane lost power. As he tried to land, Schmidt struck some lemon trees but landed the plane on its wheels in a field near California 118 and Walnut Street, according to officials with the Ventura County Fire Department and Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

The minor accident follows two fatal crashes out of the Santa Paula Airport in the past two months. On Thursday, the pilot and passenger of a hand-built airplane were killed after crashing and hitting a golf cart. In February, a Ventura County stunt pilot and his flight student were killed when a helicopter carrying actor Kirk Douglas and two other people collided with their plane. Douglas suffered moderate injuries.