A small plane crash at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona, left five people dead, including a child, after the aircraft hit a car while attempting an aborted takeoff on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred around 4:40 p.m., about 25 miles east of Phoenix, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The Honda HA-420 jet crashed through the airport’s perimeter fence and struck a vehicle outside the airport property, officials said. Four people on the plane, identified as Spencer Lindahl, 43, Rustin Randall, 48, Drew Kimball, 44, and Graham Kimball, 12, all from Arizona—died at the scene, according to the Mesa Police Department. One person on board survived but was hospitalized with burn injuries.
The driver of the car involved in the crash also died, though authorities have not yet released their name pending official identification. The Mesa Fire and Medical Department confirmed the total of five fatalities.
Eyewitness Joshua Golabi, a pilot, told KPNX that he heard the crash and saw a plume of smoke while preparing to fly. “We were just about to get into our aircraft and go when we heard a pop,” Golabi said, adding that the plane was briefly engulfed in flames.
The NTSB is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration also released a statement acknowledging the incident and confirming the involvement of a passenger vehicle outside airport grounds.
