Cause of San Jose plane crash under investigation

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - A Santa Clara County airport official said the cause of a plane crash Sunday afternoon in San Jose near Reid-Hillview Airport is under investigation.

A Cessna 172 crashed at about 3 p.m. into a garage converted to a home in the 2100 block of Evelyn Avenue, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman and county and fire officials said. 

"We're obviously very concerned about the tragedy," Harry Freitas, Santa Clara County director of roads and airports, said. 

Police, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash, which could prompt procedural changes to flight or training standards, depending on what investigators find, Freitas said. 

He and FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash occurred about 300 yards northwest of Reid-Hillview Airport after the plane took off from there.

The plane had been rented from the airport and occupied by three people.

The three, made up of two men and a woman, were taken to a hospital, San Jose fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort said. 

Freitas didn't know who was flying the plane when it crashed. Van Elgort said no one on the ground was injured. 

The American Red Cross is helping the occupants of the converted garage, which didn't sustain a lot of damage. 

Building inspectors will be out Monday to assess the damage before the occupants can return home. 

Fuel spilled from the plane after the crash and a hazard materials crew responded to clean that up, Freitas said.