Two men were seriously injured when a small plane crashed into a wooded area of Westwood Saturday afternoon, according to state and federal authorities.

The pilot, a 65-year-old Newton man, was taken by helicopter to Boston Medical Center to be treated for serious injuries, State Police said in a statement.

The passenger, a 77-year-old Norwood man, was first taken by ambulance to Norwood Hospital, and then flown by helicopter to Boston Medical Center with serious injuries, State Police said.

The two men were in critical condition Saturday night, Westwood police Chief Jeffrey Silva said.

The crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. 3 miles north of Norwood Memorial Airport, said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the FAA.

Investigators from the FAA were en route to the crash site late Saturday afternoon, Bergen said. The National Transportation Safety Board will ultimately determine the cause of the crash, she added.

The single-engine Piper PA-24 appeared to be attempting to land at the nearby airport, State Police said.

Dedham and Westwood public safety and Norwood and Canton police also responded to the scene.

The Dedham Fire Department posted on its Twitter page that it had responded to 40 Peartree Drive in Westwood “to assist in the extrication of victims.’’

The Westwood Police Department posted on its Twitter page that Peartree Drive “is closed as an active crime scene.’’

Elio Imbornone, whose home on Peartree Drive backs up to the wooded area where the plane crashed, said he was sitting by his pool with family when the plane started decelerating.

He said because they live so close to the airport, they often see planes flying overhead, but he could tell this flight was different. The plane was closer to the trees than he had ever seen before.

“I’ve been the owner of the house for almost 40 years,’’ he said. “I’ve never seen a plane in my backyard.’’

Within seconds of spotting the plane, Imbornone said, he heard a giant crash. He ran inside his home to call 911 and then into the woods to see if he could help.

The plane was “broken up totally,’’ he said. Within minutes, police and fire officials were on the scene.

“I felt lucky,’’ Imbornone said. “If it had come east, it would have landed in my pool . . . or in my house.’’

Matthew J. Lee of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Nicole Fleming can be reached at nicole.fleming@globe.com. Felicia Gans can be reached at felicia.gans@globe.com.