Jet never lifted off the ground before Mesa crash, killing 5
Corrections & Clarifications: Four people were identified as killed in the plane crash. The identity of the fifth victim was not released. The victim information was incorrect in a previous version of the article and its headline.
A multimillion-dollar business jet never left the ground before a fiery crash that killed five people on Tuesday in Mesa, according to witnesses.
The six-passenger jet plowed through a field at the end of a Falcon Field Airport runway, tore into a fence, slid onto Greenfield Road, hit a vehicle and crashed into an orchard, a witness told police.
Officials said four people on board the plane and the driver of the vehicle that was hit died, including a 12-year-old boy and his father. A teenage passenger in the plane survived and was transported to the hospital with burns.
Police identified the four killed in the plane as Drew Kimball, 44, Grahm Kimball, 12, Spencer Lindahl, 43, and Rustin Randall, 48. They were all from Arizona. The name of the vehicle driver was not released pending identification, police said.
Family and friends of the victims shared memories and posted heartfelt messages Wednesday on social media.
Ward leaders at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Chandler where the families attended church called for prayers. Officials at the elementary school where Grahm Kimball attended sixth grade had counselors available for students.
“Our hearts are excruciatingly heavy,” Tanya Kimball wrote of her son and husband on Instagram.
The crash occurred about 4:45 p.m. A preliminary incident report released by the Federal Aviation Administration said the crash was an accident that happened under “unknown circumstances.” There was a post-crash fire, and the plane was destroyed.
Officials said the plane was being used for personal activity. Flight data shows the plane was scheduled to land in Provo, Utah, about two hours after takeoff.
Records show the jet was owned by Ice Man Holdings LLC, a company operated by Lindahl and Rustin. Its address is on East McKellips Road at Falcon Field in a long building that backs onto an airport taxiway.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and said early details indicated the plane hit the airport perimeter fence and the vehicle during an “aborted takeoff.”
The agency will examine a range of information and records, including recordings of air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records and surveillance videos.
Investigators were expected to document the area and examine the plane, which is expected to be taken to a secure facility for further examination.
Officials asked that any witnesses or people who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation to send it to [email protected].
The HA-420 HondaJet is described as a “light business jet” by the manufacturer. It has six seats and a range of 1,600 miles with a top speed of 483 mph. The HA-420 jet was the first aircraft developed by HondaJet and made its first flight in 2003, according to industry trade journals.
The plane is 46.6 feet long, 14.9 feet high and has a wingspan of 39.8 feet. It has two wing-mounted engines. The plane costs about $5.8 million new.
HondaJet operates an authorized service center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Its website lists one HA-420 for sale. It was built in 2017 with the asking price of $3.4 million. It was not the one involved in the crash.
Emergency vehicles blocked the street, and traffic near the airport was shut down for hours. Flames and smoke were visible in the area.
Elena Santa Cruz is a criminal justice reporter for The Republic. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X @ecsantacruz3.
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @robertanglen.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jet never lifted off the ground before crash, killing 5 in Mesa
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