Authorities have identified four of the five individuals who tragically lost their lives in a plane crash that occurred near a Mesa airport and collided with a car on Tuesday afternoon.
Five individuals were on board the plane, with four of them tragically losing their lives at the scene. The victims have been identified as:
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- Spencer Lindahl, age 43
- Rustin Randall, age 48
- Drew Kimball, age 44
- Graham Kimball, age 12
The crash occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. in the vicinity of Greenfield and McKellips roads, just southwest of Falcon Field Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports that initial findings suggest a Honda HA-420 jet made an unsuccessful attempt to abort takeoff. As a result, the aircraft broke through an airport perimeter fence and collided with a vehicle on Greenfield Road.
From the south tower at Falcon Field, a voice from liveATC.net reported, “Looks like there’s a big fire down at the other end of the runway.”
According to sources, it has been confirmed that Randall was the pilot of the plane. The group was en route to Provo, Utah. Mesa police have reported that one person from the plane survived the crash and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for burn injuries.
The driver of the vehicle died in the fiery crash, but their identity has not been disclosed yet as authorities are still in the process of notifying the next-of-kin.
Security footage obtained by Arizona’s Family depicts the moment when the jet crashes through a fence and collides with a car on Greenfield Road. The video captures the immediate aftermath, as flames and thick black smoke billow into the sky.
Keith Small, an employee in the company’s hangar, was diligently working on fixing helicopters after wrecks when the unfortunate accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
“I heard the sound of metal grinding, and initially, I didn’t think much of it. But then, it hit me. I thought, ‘hold on a second.’ So, I quickly stood up and turned around, only to witness dirt scattered at the end of the runway. As soon as I rounded the corner, a deafening explosion shook the air. The plane erupted into flames, exploding not just once, but multiple times,” he recounted.
Greenfield Road is currently closed from McKellips to McDowell as of Wednesday night. The wreckage is still present on the roadway, and only traffic going to the Air Force Museum is allowed to pass through.
According to the Mesa police, officers will be stationed at the crash site until the plane is cleared, which is expected to happen by Thursday night.
Drivers in the area are being urged to exercise caution while the investigation is ongoing.
NTSB investigators are currently present at the scene, and additional investigators arrived on Wednesday. After concluding the on-site investigation, the jet will be transported to a secure facility for further evaluation.
The investigators plan to release a preliminary report within the next 30 days, but it will take an additional 12-24 months for the final report to be completed.