A tragic plane crash near a suburban Phoenix airport on Tuesday afternoon resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a 12-year-old boy, authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The crash involved a small business jet that failed to take off and collided with a vehicle after breaking through the airport’s metal fence.
The plane, a six-seat HondaJet HA-420, had been preparing for takeoff from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa and was bound for Provo, Utah. According to preliminary reports, the jet aborted its takeoff and crashed through the airport’s metal fence, before slamming into a vehicle traveling on a road west of the airport.
Aviation data indicates that the HondaJet accelerated to over 153 mph during its attempted takeoff on the 5,100-foot runway, traveling approximately 1,300 feet before slowing to about 118 mph. Flightradar24 spokesman Ian Petchenik stated that the jet was traveling at 78.25 mph at its last recorded position before the crash. The cause of the aborted takeoff remains unclear, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation, with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Mesa authorities.
Mesa police confirmed that four of the five passengers aboard the jet died at the scene. The victims included 12-year-old Graham Kimball and his 44-year-old father, Drew Kimball, along with 48-year-old Rustin Randall and 43-year-old Spencer Lindahl, both of whom were listed as managers of Ice Man Holdings LLC, a Mesa-based company. The unidentified pilot of the aircraft sustained serious burn injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital.
The driver of the vehicle, which was struck by the plane, also died at the scene. Authorities are withholding the driver’s identity pending identification.
The NTSB continues its investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
