The tragedy was witnessed at Scottsdale Airport after a Bombardier Learjet 35A, landing from Austin, Texas, veered off the runway and collided with a parked Gulfstream 200 business jet. The accident took place at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time on Runway 21 and resulted in one death and the injury of four others.
Initial reports state that the Learjet’s left main landing gear failed during landing, causing the crash. Based in Scottsdale, the jet skidded off the runway and struck the Gulfstream, which was parked on private property. Luckily, there were no passengers aboard the Gulfstream at the time of the accident.
One person died upon impact, two others were airlifted with critical injuries and taken to area trauma centers. Another was rushed to a hospital, and one person refused medical treatment at the scene. Through the afternoon, authorities worked on extricating the body of the victim as described by Scottsdale Fire Chief Folio at an afternoon briefing.
The Learjet belonged to Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, but representatives confirmed he was not aboard during the accident. Two pilots and two passengers were onboard, though their identities and specific conditions have not been released.
Jet Pros, LLC, the operator of the Gulfstream, issued a statement confirming that no injuries were reported on the jet but acknowledging damage to the aircraft. The company expressed condolences to the affected families and praised emergency responders for their swift actions. The airport, located in Maricopa County, Arizona, temporarily suspended flights but reopened six hours later.
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and recognized the efforts of rescue and recovery personnel who worked as hard as they could in the tragic accident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will determine the cause of this crash after further investigation.
The authorities still do not identify the victims, but the community is visibly shaken by this devastating accident.
