Pilot seriously injured in small-plane crash on San Jose street
SAN JOSE -- A small plane hit a utility pole and crashed Friday on a street in a San Francisco Bay neighborhood, seriously injuring the pilot, authorities said.
The plane went down at about 7:15 p.m. near Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, authorities said.
"It hit a fire pole," police Sgt. Patrick Guire told the Bay Area News Group, which said witnesses reported seeing the pilot lying on the ground near the wrecked plane.
The pilot had moderate to severe injuries and was taken to a hospital, the San Jose fire department tweeted. The police department later tweeted that he suffered life-threatening injuries but was stabilized.
Video of the scene showed a small aircraft that crash into a fence during an apparent emergency landing, coming to rest on the sidewalk on the 2100 block of Evelyn Avenue just outside the airport. It appeared that the plane's landing gear may have collapsed during the rough landing.
Police said several homes in the neighborhood were evacuated because of downed power lines. Pacific Gas & Electric crews were sent to restore power.
Roads immediately surrounding the area will be closed indefinitely.
There was no immediate word on what caused the crash. The FAA and NTSB are responding to the scene to assist with the investigation.
