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SANTA ROSA — A small plane crashed about a quarter mile from the Sonoma Skypark Airport Sunday, injuring the pilot and his 17-year-old passenger. 

The pilot, a 56-year-old Hayward resident, said the plane malfunctioned and he lost control about 100 feet in the air. The plane nose-dived, narrowly missing a house and clipping a truck as it crashed around 3 p.m. 

The plane took off from the Sonoma Skypark Airport, and the manager described the pilot as a safe pilot. 

“He’s been flying for many years,” manager Roy Secrist said. “He’s very experienced, very qualified, a very safe flier.” 

The 17-year-old girl suffered deep cuts and a broken ankle. She was interested in learning to fly, and the pilot is her father’s friend. The pilot suffered minor cuts and bruises. 

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.