Small Plane Crashes Onto Capitol Expressway Near Reid-Hillview Airport, Injuring Two Adults and a Child
A small single-engine plane crashed onto Capitol Expressway at Excalibur Drive in San Jose, near Reid-Hillview Airport, at about 3:09 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The San Jose Fire Department said two adults and a child were aboard and were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No one on the ground was hurt, and no vehicles were struck. The cause is under investigation.
Incident Summary
Crash Area
What Happened
A single-engine plane went down on Capitol Expressway at Excalibur Drive in San Jose at about 3:09 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2026, according to the San Jose Fire Department. The crash site is close to Reid-Hillview Airport on the city's east side. NBC Bay Area reported that the plane came to rest nose-down and tail-up in the middle of the road.
The fire department said two adults and one child were aboard. All three were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. NBC Bay Area reported they were taken in out of an abundance of caution.
No one on the ground was hurt and no vehicles were struck, fire officials said. The crash caused a minor fuel spill that crews absorbed. NBC Bay Area reported that traffic was blocked at the intersection and the Alum Rock Avenue off-ramp from Interstate 680 was briefly closed.
The Aircraft
Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane is a 1968 Cessna 177A Cardinal registered to Flying Twenty Inc., a nonprofit flight club for San Jose State University students, alumni and faculty, according to ABC7 and NBC Bay Area. The names of the people aboard had not been released, and officials had not said who was flying.
The cause of the crash had not been determined. ABC7, NBC Bay Area, KMPH, SFist and the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the crash.
How Small Plane Crashes Are Investigated
The National Transportation Safety Board investigates civil aviation accidents in the United States, and the FAA reviews pilot and aircraft records. These investigations look at maintenance logs, fuel, weather, the pilot's training and the aircraft's history. A preliminary NTSB report usually comes out within a few weeks, and a final report can take a year or more.
Our founder, Chris Scranton, is a pilot. When people are hurt in a small plane crash, the questions are different from a car crash: who maintained the aircraft, whether a part failed, and how a flight club or owner handled the plane. If you or your family were hurt in an aviation accident, our personal injury lawyers can explain your options. Consultations are free and confidential.
We're glad everyone aboard survived, and that no one on the busy roadway below was hurt.
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