1 dead, several injured after Vince Neil’s private jet veers off runway in Scottsdale
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — A tragic accident at Scottsdale Municipal Airport on Monday afternoon resulted in at least one death after two jets collided on the runway. One of the jets involved was owned by rock star Vince Neil, though he was not on board at the time.
According to the FAA, Neil's Learjet 35A veered off the runway after landing and crashed into a Gulfstream G-200 business jet that was parked at the airport, located near Scottsdale and Thunderbird roads. The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m., and officials believe the left main landing gear of the Learjet failed during landing, leading to the collision.
When fire crews arrived at the scene, they found one person dead and trapped inside the Learjet. By 6:30 p.m., the person had not yet been removed.
Initially, Mötley Crüe, Neil’s heavy metal band, posted on Facebook that the pilot of the Learjet 35A had died, and Neil’s girlfriend and her friend were injured but expected to survive. The post was later deleted, and the band updated their statement with details from Neil's representative. The co-pilot was also injured in the incident.
Rock star Bret Michaels, frontman of the band Poison and a friend of Neil’s, shared his condolences on Facebook, expressing relief that Neil was not on board at the time. Michaels added, “My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all involved.”
A fifth person on board the Gulfstream refused treatment. Jet Pros, the Gulfstream’s owner, expressed their condolences, offering support to the families affected and cooperating with airport authorities during the investigation.
Upon arrival, firefighters detected a strong smell of gas. Additional hazmat units were brought in to clear nearby buildings, though no hazardous readings were found in the structures.
The Learjet was registered to Chromed, based in Hollywood, Wyoming, where Neil is listed as a principal-agent. According to flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange, the Learjet had arrived from Austin.
The Scottsdale Airport was closed for several hours following the incident, with the runway reopening around 8:45 p.m..
In a statement, Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky expressed condolences, stating, “We are closely monitoring the situation and in touch with airport, police, and federal agencies. We offer our deepest condolences to those involved and thank our first responder community for their swift actions.”
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
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