On Tuesday afternoon, five people died when a small plane crashed through a wall and hit a car while aborting takeoff at an Arizona airport. The Honda HA-420 jet crashed at approximately 4:40 p.m. at Falcon Field Airport. The airport is located in Mesa, a city located about 25 miles east of Phoenix..
Preliminary information indicates that the plane impacted the airport perimeter fence. [They also hit] a passenger vehicle during an aborted takeoff,” the National Transportation Safety Board explained to CNN this morning.Five people were on board the plane,” the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN. ”The aircraft struck a vehicle outside of the airport property.”
Meanwhile, an eyewitness recalled the small plane crashing through “concrete walls” before bursting into flames.
“He went through that dip, he went past the road through the metal gated fence that they have, through, I believe, a few concrete walls,” eyewitness and pilot Joshua Golabi recalled to the outlet.
At one point, Golabi said the aircraft was completely consumed by flames.
“We were just about to get into our aircraft and go when we heard a pop,” he explained. “[We] saw a plume of smoke,” he added. “It’s just jarring, and it’s a reminder to all pilots to always fly and maneuver as safe as you can.”
Authorities have yet to identify the five victims found in the Honda HA-420 business jet. It remains unclear whether there were any injuries in the car involved.
The Airport Remains Closed Following the Tragic Plane Crash
Marrisa Ramirez-Ramos, a spokesperson for the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, conformed that five individuals lost their lives in the crash. However, she refrained from providing additional details regarding the fatalities.