One person was killed and four injured after a private jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil collided with another private plane when landing at an Arizona airport Monday afternoon, authorities said.
At 2:29 p.m., a Learjet aircraft flying in from Austin, Texas, veered off the runway while attempting to land at Scottsdale Airport and collided with a parked Gulfstream 200 aircraft, said Kelli Kuester, aviation planning and outreach coordinator for the airport at a news conference. It appears that the Learjet’s left main gear failed upon landing, causing the plane to crash, she said.
Neil owns the Learjet Model 35A but was not on the plane at the time of the crash, according to a statement by his representative, Worrick Robinson. Two pilots and two passengers were on board, Robinson said.
“Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all first responders assisting today,” Robinson said.
One person was dead at the scene and still needed to be extricated from the plane at 6 p.m. local time, said Scottsdale Fire Capt. Dave Folio. Two people were immediately taken to trauma centers, one person was later taken to a hospital in stable condition, and one person refused treatment, he said.
The runway where the accident took place was temporarily closed following the crash and reopened around 8:30 p.m. local time, according to the airport. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
“On behalf of the city of Scottsdale, we offer our deepest condolences to those involved in the accident and for those who have been taken to our trauma center for treatment,” said Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky in a statement. “We will keep all affected by this tragedy in our prayers.”
Monday’s crash was the latest in a spate of lethal aviation incidents across America.
On. Jan. 29, 67 people were killed when a commercial jetliner and Army helicopter collided midair near Washington, D.C. Two days later, a medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing six people on board and a bystander on the ground. Last week, 10 people died in the crash of a small commuter plane in western Alaska.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
