Two Coast Guard auxiliary members were 2,000 feet above the Hudson River when their small plane's engine stopped working, forcing them to crash-land on a northern New Jersey athletic field earlier this month.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board on the Sept. 3 crash says pilots Jack Rosenberg and Erik Pearson were returning from Albany on a routine observation mission when the Cessna Skyhawk's engine "stopped producing power."

As they descended, Rosenberg saw some fields were in use, so he steered away from them and landed at the edge of a stand of trees.

Both men suffered serious injuries. Rosenberg has been released from the hospital, but Pearson remains hospitalized in stable condition.

The NTSB report issued last week says the plane had its annual inspection in mid-July.

Last week several other small planes were involved in crashes throughout New Jersey.