Small Plane Crashes on Napa Highway

    Three people were injured when a small plane crashed into the back  of their car near Napa County Airport Sunday afternoon, according to the  California Highway Patrol.
    The Beechcraft A36 Bonanza lost engine power and crash landed on  state Highway 29 near Airport Boulevard where it rear-ended a 2007 Infiniti  around 12:35 p.m., CHP and Federal Aviation Administration officials said.
    The driver of the Infiniti and the two passengers suffered minor  injuries and were taken to Queen of the Valley Medical Center for treatment,  CHP Officer John Short said. The two people in the white four-seater plane  were uninjured, FAA Operations Officer Bruce Nelson said.
    The aircraft also knocked down a traffic signal pole, Short said.  The CHP shut down that portion of Highway 29 for about 40 minutes after the  crash.
    The pilot, who flew from Lake Tahoe Airport in South Lake Tahoe,  was planning to land at Napa County Airport before the power breakdown,  Nelson said.
    He said that engine power failures could be attributed to a number  of factors, including something as simple as not having enough fuel in the  tank. Nelson said the plane sustained significant damage in the crash.
    The crash is under investigation by the FAA and the National  Transportation Safety Board, which is standard procedure, Nelson said.