SAN FRANCISCO -- The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating what caused a small airplane taking aerial photography to crash into the San Francisco Bay Wednesday afternoon, prompting the rescue of its two passengers.

The single-engine Cessna 210 Centurion plane hit shallow water around 1:50 p.m. about a quarter-mile north of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

The pilot and passenger of the plane were rescued and both appeared to be in good condition with no serious injuries, U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Amy Marrs said.

The Coast Guard's Marine Safety and Security Team was training just north of Treasure Island and a Coast Guard boat was able to reach and rescue the plane's occupants within 15 minutes, Marrs said.

Jessica Stockton, lunchtime bartender at Skates on the Bay in Berkeley, said she and a coworker saw a plane flying unusually low over the bay, but did not see it impact the water.

She said the plane had dark fumes trailing behind it.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the pilot reported a loss of engine power before the plane went into the bay.

"Crashes are rare but they occasionally happen," FAA spokesman Gregor said. "Cessna is a very popular, common (and) affordable aircraft. There's a lot of them flying around."

The crash did not impact vessel traffic in the area, according to the Coast Guard.

The plane's pilot will be responsible for making plans to remove the aircraft from the water, Coast Guard spokeswoman Lauren Kolumbic said.

The Emeryville and Oakland fire departments, as well as the California Highway Patrol, California Department of Transportation and the Coast Guard, responded, Oakland fire Lt. David Brue said.