5 people who died in Mesa small plane crash identified

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Officials released the identities of the five people who died after a small plane crashed into a vehicle near Falcon Field Airport in Mesa late Tuesday afternoon.

Five Arizona residents were on board the plane, an HA-420 HondaJet. There was a pilot, co-pilot and three passengers, police said.

Four of them died, including a child: Spencer Lindahl, 43, Rustin Randall, 48, Drew Kimball, 44, and Grahm Kimball, 12.

Police said the fifth person on the plane survived and is in the hospital with burn injuries.

The driver of the vehicle involved in the crash also died, but police said their name has not been released as officials are confirming their identity.

The plane crashed on Greenfield Road just outside the airport around 4:40 p.m. after takeoff. A small field separates the airport runways from Greenfield Road. An orchard fronts the west side of Greenfield Road.

A preliminary incident report released by the Federal Aviation Administration says the crash was an accident that happened under “unknown circumstances.” There was a post-crash fire, and the plane was destroyed. It was being used for personal activity.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and said early details indicated the plane hit the airport perimeter fence and the vehicle during an “aborted takeoff.”

The agency will examine a range of information and records, including recordings of air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records and surveillance videos.

Investigators were expected to document the area and examine the plane, which is expected to be taken to a secure facility for further examination.

Officials asked that any witnesses or people who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation send it to witness@ntsb.gov.

Emergency vehicles blocked the street, and traffic near the airport was shut down for hours. Flames and smoke were visible in the area.

Wednesday morning, police said in a post to X that Greenfield was expected to remain closed in both directions from McKellips to McDowell for most of the day. All other traffic was open.

If people work in an area that is closed down, police said they will let them into their work site.

The HA-420 HondaJet is described as a “light business jet” by the manufacturer. It has six seats and a range of 1,600 miles with a top speed of 483 mph. The HA-420 jet was the first aircraft developed by HondaJet and made its first flight in 2003, according to industry trade journals.

The plane is 46.6 feet long, 14.9 feet high and has a wingspan of 39.8 feet. It has two wing-mounted engines. The plane costs about $5.8 million new.

HondaJet operates an authorized service center at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Its website lists one HA-420 for sale. It was built in 2017 with the asking price of $3.4 million.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 5 people who died in Mesa small plane crash near Falcon Field identified

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