MESA, Ariz. — Four Arizona families are working through a devastating loss of life after a Honda jet plane never fully made it into the air on takeoff before crashing into multiple fences and a car on Tuesday evening.
Mesa Police say five people were aboard the jet. 12News has learned it was multiple fathers and their sons and another friend into the plane when it crashed. Police have identified them as:
- Spencer Lindahl, age 43
- Rustin Randall, age 48
- Drew Kimball, age 44
- Grahm Kimball, age 12
Another young boy is in hospital with burn injuries and has not yet been identified. The driver of the car, who was hit by the plane as it was taking off, also died and has not been identified.
12News has learned the Lindahls, Randalls, and Kimballs are all members of the East Valley community, specifically in Gilbert.
With permission from the Lindahl family, our news partners in Salt Lake City, Utah, shared a photo of Spencer Lindahl:
On the social media site Instagram, several of the Kimball family members shared a post announcing the passing of Drew and Graham:
Drew Kimball had recently spoke at a gala for the HOPE mental health foundation. In a post on Facebook, the organization said "200 guests heard his message about the importance of checking in with our children and loved ones."
In a statement The HOPE foundation said, "The entire Kimball family has been a lasting inspiration to The Hope Foundation and our heart breaks with their family."
A family friend of the Kimballs told 12News their son, Braden, died by suicide last December. She described Tuesday's crash as an "unimaginable loss."
The National Traffic Safety Board is investigating the circumstances of the crash. 12News spoke with Arizona pilot John Washington, who says they will be taking an in-depth look at everything from the maintenance history of the aircraft to the weather conditions at the time of the crash.
"It'll even get as granular as looking at the air pressure and the tires when the aircraft was refueled and how much fuel was put into the aircraft," Washington said. "They'll look at the takeoff and landing data that the pilots would have generated to make sure that they have plenty of runway for the weight and condition of the airplane and the weather conditions as well."
Washington says these kinds of aircraft accidents do not happen often in Arizona.
“There's an old [saying] that says the most dangerous part of any flight is to drive to the airport. And I really, truly believe that's the case," he said. "There are a lot of ways to get hurt in life, and to a certain extent, life is about risk management. You manage the risk and you pursue the things that you love.”
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