Pictured is the aftermath of a plane crash Aug. 11 in the backyard of a home on Baker Street Extension in the town of Harmony. Photo provided by Jamie King

A flight instructor reported an engine problem shortly before the plane he was in crashed last month in the town of Harmony.

Details of the Aug. 11 aviation accident were noted in a preliminary report released this week by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Both the instructor and a pilot under instruction suffered serious injuries, and the Cessna 172 they were in was “substantially damaged.”

As part of a “night cross-country flight,” the plane traveled from Willoughby, Ohio, to Chautauqua County.

The flight instructor told investigators the pair conducted a “touch-and-go” procedure at Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport.

A touch-and-go involves landing and taking off on a runway without stopping.

During their climb back to cruising altitude, the instructor said the plane’s single engine began to “sputter.” The pilot pitched the plane for best glide speed and circled back toward the Jamestown airport while attempting to restore engine power.

Unable to regain power, the pilot and instructor were advised by air traffic control of a private airstrip located below them. The instructor took control of the Cessna and began to “spiral down” to the airstrip.

According to the preliminary report, the pair was unable to locate the airstrip, “therefore the instructor maintained best glide (speed) and went forward into the trees.”

The plane crashed at about 11 p.m. in the yard of a Baker Street Extension home. The aircraft came to rest nose down at the base of a tree.

In a news release, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office identified the plane’s occupants as 63-year-old Lawrence Zupon and 25-year-old Daniel Rossi. Both were able to get out on their own and were later transported to UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa.

In speaking with The Post-Journal about a half hour after the plane crash, the homeowner said her husband had heard a loud noise before waking her up. “We looked in the backyard (and) saw a man walking in the backyard,” the homeowner said. “He told us his plane crashed and asked to call 911.”

As noted by the NTSB, the preliminary report is subject to change and may contain errors. A final report will be released at a later date.