2 hurt in San Louis Obispo when WWII plane crashes SAN LUIS OBISPO

Firefighters from Calfire and city of San Luis Obispo respond to a small plane crash near Cal Poly Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Two were injured. Firefighters from Calfire and city of San Luis Obispo respond to a small plane crash near Cal Poly Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Two were injured. Photo: David Middlecamp, AP Photo: David Middlecamp, AP Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 2 hurt in San Louis Obispo when WWII plane crashes 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A vintage World War II spotter airplane crashed on a ranch Thursday, injuring two people.

The pilot of the Aeronca O-58B radioed controllers at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport that he had an emergency and was going down around 9:50 a.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.

The plane went over the California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo campus, dodged some power lines, hit a eucalyptus tree and crashed in a stream bed on a private ranch, said state forestry and fire spokeswoman Es Berliner.

The pilot, from Newport Beach, was able to get out of the cockpit, Berliner said. Firefighters helped an 86-year-old from Paso Robles out of the plane. Both were taken to a hospital, but she didn't know their conditions.

The plane was built in 1943, registered to Jeff Wells of Newport Beach and stored at the Estrella Warbirds Museum, which displays a collection of military aircraft and vehicles in Paso Robles.

The Aeronca O-58B was used for training, observation and communications and nicknamed the "Grasshopper" by pilots.