By Tri-County Newspapers

Two Ukiah men were injured when their plane crashed into the edge of an almond orchard near Williams on Tuesday.

The identities of the men were not immediately available, but Colusa County sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Erdelt said that heavy smoke in the cockpit forced the two-seat Lancair 360 to the ground.

This is they type of plane involved in the emergency landing.

The two men were on their way from Ukiah to Lake Tahoe, Erdelt said.

“There was some light smoke in the cockpit so they started to descend,” Erdelt said. “Then the smoke got heavier and they ended up crashing.”

The craft, considered an experimental plane, hit some almond trees west of East Camp Road and about a mile south of Highway 20.

One man was airlifted to Enloe Medical Center in Chico with what was described as major injuries. The other man was taken by ambulance to Colusa Regional Medical Center, but also was expected to be airlifted to an area hospital, Erdelt said.

The accident, which happened about 11:30am Feb. 12., is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.