Emergency crews responded to reports of a plane crash at the airport at 12:48 p.m. and discovered the four-seater 2006 Cirrus SR20 tipped onto its nose in a grassy area adjacent to Runway 15 Left.
The occupants, identified only as a Nevada couple, had already exited the plane and declined any medical treatment, fire officials said.
“Initial reports revealed that the plane was attempting to land when the pilot lost control of the aircraft,” according to a news release from the Santa Barbara City Fire Department, which also noted that the Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the incident.
Federal aviation records show the plane is registered out of Las Vegas, Nev., but no name is listed. Instead, the aircraft is registered to a corporation apparently named after the plane’s identification number, N702TM.
Authorities shut down traffic along Runway 15 — the shorter runway — while investigating the incident, although other runways remained open, according to emergency radio traffic. By 2:30 p.m., the downed aircraft had been removed from the airfield and normal operations resumed.