A 79-year-old man injured his finger in a small plane crash today near the Hilo drag strip, a Big Island news release said.

Thomas Downey, of Hilo, was flying his home-built experimental single-engine biplane at 2,500 feet when the engine failed at 7:10 a.m. He tried to land at the drag strip, but made a hard landing outside the fence, police said.

He hurt his finger in the accident, but did not need to go to the hospital.

Police notified the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board about the crash.