The Monterey police and fire departments, as well as the Monterey Airport Fire Department, responded to reports from an airport tower around 6 p.m. that a plane had gone down, Monterey Deputy Chief of Police Phil Penko said.
The plane had crashed and hit a tree near the entrance to the Monterey Pines Golf Course, Penko said.
The pilot was found walking near the crash site and did not appear to be seriously injured, Penko said. The passenger was still inside the aircraft and was airlifted to a hospital.
"It's my understanding that they were returning from a trip to Mexico," Penko said.
No one on the ground was hurt.
"It was fortunate, not only that no one in the plane was killed, but that nothing on the ground was impacted," Penko said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
