A man suffered major injuries Wednesday evening after the plane he was piloting went down in a grape vineyard near the Santa Ynez Airport in Santa Barbara County.

According to Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman Scott Safechuck, the plane went down just before 4:40 p.m. west of the airport on the adjacent property of Gainey Estate Vineyards.

The 20-year-old pilot suffered serious injuries and was removed from the wreckage with the help of first responders.

An emergency helicopter was deployed to the scene to transport the man to a local hospital for treatment.

It was initially reported that two people were on board the plane when it went down, including the pilot. The condition of the passenger was not immediately clear.

The plane had markings consistent with the Civil Air Patrol, which often flies in the Santa Ynez Valley as part of its cadet training program.

It was not immediately known if the pilot was involved in the program.