One person was killed and several others injured after a million-dollar private jet crashed into another plane on the runway at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.
The Scottsdale Fire Department said at least one person died on the scene and four people were hurt when the aircrafts collided Monday around 2:45 p.m. MT.
‘We have five souls, one [dead on arrival], two immediate that have been transported to local trauma centers, one delayed stable to a local hospital, and this is still an active scene,’ Scottsdale Fire Department Captain Dave Folio said.
‘We are still working on extricating one soul out of one of the airplanes.’
The crash occurred when an arriving midsize business jet hit another midsize business jet that was parked on private property, according to officials.
‘A Learjet aircraft on its arrival from Austin veered off the runway and collided with another jet, a Gulfstream 200 aircraft that was parked. It appears that the left main gear failed upon landing, resulting in the accident,’ airport public information officer Kelli Kuester said.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed private two jets collided and they have temporarily paused flights into the airport.
‘A Learjet 35A veered off the runway after landing and crashed into a Gulfstream 200 business jet on the ramp at Scottsdale Municipal Airport in Arizona,’ the FAA said.
‘We do not know how many people were on board. The FAA is temporarily pausing flights into the airport. The FAA will investigate.’
Images shared on social media show two mangled aircrafts on the runway as first responders swarm the scene.
‘An accident has occurred upon arrival to runway 21,’ the Scottsdale Airport said. ‘Fire Department is on scene assessing the situation. Scottsdale Airports runway is currently closed.’
AZFamily reported that the Learjet is registered to Chromed in Hollywood, which is registered in Wyoming with a principal agent listed as Vince Neil as with a Franklin, Tennessee mailing address.
A new Learjet 35A can cost around $4.8million and a Gulfstream G200 business jet can range from $2.85million to $7.195million according to Paramount Business Jets.
Footage obtained by the local news outlet showed the moment the aircraft skirted along the runway and hit the other jet.
Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky said, ‘Today, Scottsdale sadly experienced an aircraft accident at our airport. Based on the information provided thus far, it appears at least one person is dead after two jets collided on the runway at Scottsdale Airport.
‘We are closely monitoring the situation, and we are in touch with airport, police and federal agencies and will update the community as we have further information.
‘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. We will keep all affected by this tragedy in our prayers.’
The crash comes after a Bering Air flight carrying 10 people vanished while flying over Alaska on Thursday.
The tiny Bering Air Caravan took off from Unalakleet, a small community in western Alaska, and was on a short 55-minute commuter flight when it suddenly disappeared off flight radars over the Norton Sound inlet at 3:16pm local time.
The aircraft was discovered crash-landed 34 miles southeast of its intended destination of Nome on Friday.
All 10 victims onboard the small plane that plummeted into ice of Alaska’s Bering Sea have been identified and their remains have been recovered.
The pilot was identified as Chad Antill, 34. The remaining victims included Liane Ryan, 52; Donnell Erickson, 58; Andrew Gonzalez, 30; Kameron Hartvigson, 41; Rhone Baumgartner, 46; and Jadee Moncur, 52.
Ian Hofmann, 45; Talaluk Katchatag, 34; and Carol Mooers, 48 were also on the fatal flight.
On January 31, a medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia killing the six people on board and another person on the ground.
The nation was hit with the deadliest air disaster in the country since 2001 on January 29 when an American Airlines jet collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, DC.
The Black Hawk Army helicopter was conducting a training flight when it struck the regional jet near the nation’s capital, killing 67 people.
