A small propeller plane carrying three people crashed on a San Jose roadway Saturday afternoon, leaving two adults and a child injured, local emergency officials reported.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. near the intersection of Capitol Expressway and Excalibur Drive, according to the San Jose Fire Department. First responders arrived to find the single-engine aircraft resting on the street with significant damage.
Injuries and Emergency Response
All three people aboard the aircraft survived the impact and were taken to a regional medical facility with injuries that officials characterized as non-life-threatening. The fire department reported that the hospital transport was conducted “out of an abundance of caution.”
No automobiles or bystanders on the ground were struck when the plane touched down on the thoroughfare, fire officials confirmed. While the impact caused a minor fuel spill from the damaged aircraft, emergency crews were able to absorb the leaked liquid quickly before it could spread. Photographs taken after the accident revealed that the aircraft had its nose crushed and bent directly against the pavement, the New York Post reported.
The wreckage obstructed traffic and prompted authorities to shut down the nearby Alum Rock Avenue offramp from Highway 680 for several hours, NBC Bay Area reported. Crews remained at the scene until Saturday evening, when the plane was finally cleared and towed away from the intersection.
Flight Club Aircraft and Neighborhood Concerns
Federal Aviation Administration records identify the aircraft as a 1968 Cessna 177A Cardinal, according to ABC7 Bay Area. Federal registry files indicate that the plane is registered to Flying Twenty Inc., a nonprofit aviation organization established for students, alumni and faculty members of San Jose State University. Information published on the group’s website indicates that its aircraft operate from Reid-Hillview Airport in eastern San Jose, NBC Bay Area reported.
Residents living near the crash site told NBC Bay Area that while planes traveling to and from Reid-Hillview Airport have crashed in the region before, this was the first occasion they could recall an aircraft coming down so close to their residences.
The incident took place less than 24 hours after a separate aviation mishap at the nearby municipal airfield. On Friday night, another small plane experienced a crash landing at Reid-Hillview Airport, the fire department announced on social media. Officials attributed that earlier landing to faulty gear. The two people on board that flight were able to exit without assistance and were not injured, and no fuel was spilled in that incident, according to fire department statements reported by the New York Post.
Investigation and Next Steps
Officials have not publicly disclosed what forced the pilot to attempt a landing on the expressway on Saturday. What caused the Cessna to descend onto the roadway remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet released additional information regarding the condition of the three hospitalized occupants.
