A plane which collided with another aircraft on an airport runway, leaving at least one person dead, was owned by Mötley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil, it has been revealed. The two private jets crashed into each other at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday, February 10.
Four other people were also injured, reports the Mirror. One of the two business jets was owned by the heavy metal band’s frontman, with two pilots and two passengers – his girlfriend Rain Andreani and her friend – on board. Rain, 43, sustained five broken ribs, sources told TMZ. Her friend was taken to hospital after suffering severe injuries.
Posting on the band’s official social media, Mötley Crüe said today: “Earlier today, a private plane owned by Vince Neil was involved in a crash near Scottsdale, AZ. The pilot was tragically killed; the co-pilot and other passengers were taken to local hospitals.
“Vince was not on the plane. Vince‘s girlfriend and her friend suffered injuries, albeit not life-threatening. While details are still emerging, our hearts go out to the families about the pilot who lost his life in the passengers who suffered injuries. Mötley Crüe will announce a way to help support the family of the deceased pilot -stand by for an announcement very soon.”
The legal firm representing Neil told reporters the singer’s “thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all first responders assisting today.”
One plane, believed to be Neil’s arriving from Texas, veered off the runway and hit the parked Gulfstream 200 jet, according to Kelli Kuester, aviation planning and outreach coordinator at Scottsdale Airport. The early understanding is that its primary landing gear failed. Scottsdale Fire Department Captain Dave Folio said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to everybody involved in this.”
Kelli Kuester said the runway had been closed and will remain so “for the foreseeable future”. The airport is a popular hub for jets coming in and out of the Phoenix area, especially during large-scale sporting events.
A statement from Worrick Robinson Law reads: “At 2:39p.m. local time, a Learjet aircraft Model 35A owned by Vince Neil was attempting to land at the Scottsdale Airport.
“For reasons unknown at this time, the plane veered from the runway causing it to collide with another parked plane. On board Mr. Neil’s plane there were two pilots and two passengers. Mr. Neil was not on the plane.
“More specific details regarding the collision are not available as this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is an ongoing investigation. Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all the first responders assisting today.”
Ms Kuester added:”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.”
The Learjet is registered to Chromed in Hollywood, registered in Wyoming with a principal agent listed as Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe with a mailing address in Tennessee, according to WTVF.
Heavy metal group Mötley Crüe were formed in Hollywood, and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They were inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006, after already being nominated for two Grammy awards. In the UK, they are best known for the 1987 hit You’re All I Need.
The incident in Scottsdale comes after three major US aviation disasters in the last two weeks. 67 people died after a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter collided near Washington DC on January 29.
On January 31, a medical transportation plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and another on the ground. Last week, all 10 people on a small commuter plane were killed after it crashed in Alaska.