Cause of deadly Arizona plane crash revealed, deceased pilot identified

A tragic aviation incident unfolded at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday when a private jet owned by Vince Neil, the legendary lead singer of Mötley Crüe, skidded off the runway and collided with a parked private jet. The crash, which occurred at 2:39 p.m. local time, resulted in the death of 78-year-old co-pilot Joie Vitosky and injured three others, including Neil’s girlfriend, Rain Hannah, and her friend. A fifth person onboard the parked jet declined medical attention. Miraculously, Neil was not on the plane at the time of the accident. The incident has sent shockwaves through the aviation and music communities, with officials and witnesses describing the scene as harrowing and the response efforts as swift and heroic.

According to a statement released by the City of Scottsdale, the crash was caused by a failure of the Learjet’s left main landing gear upon landing. The malfunction led to the jet skidding uncontrollably across the tarmac before crashing into a larger Israel Aircraft Industries Gulfstream 200 that was parked nearby. Dramatic video footage captured the moment the Learjet careened off the runway, its nose pressed against the concrete, before colliding with the parked jet with devastating force. The impact was so severe that the front of the Gulfstream lifted and moved forward several feet. Witnesses, including aviation expert Gordan Johnson, described watching in horror as the front landing gear collapsed, sending the jet veering off the runway.

The deceased co-pilot, Joie Vitosky, was a decorated and experienced aviator with a storied career spanning over five decades. A former Marine Corps helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam in 1969, Vitosky dedicated his life to flying, earning his certification as a flight engineer in 1978 and later becoming a licensed pilot in 2019. His ex-wife, Ann Vitosky, shared that he died doing what he loved most, stating, “His passion was flying,” and that he would have been content with the way he went. The couple shared three children and four grandchildren, leaving behind a legacy of love, service, and a deep passion for aviation.

Emergency responders from Scottsdale Fire Station 609 and airport operations staff acted swiftly, arriving at the scene within one minute of the crash. Their efforts were instrumental in rescuing those trapped in the wreckage, including one individual who was critically injured and transported to a trauma center. Among the injured were Rain Hannah, who suffered five broken ribs, and her friend, as well as a second pilot. Two dogs onboard the Learjet miraculously survived the crash unharmed. The rescue operation involved separating the two aircraft, with the Learjet’s cockpit area sustaining significant damage, its left side almost completely caved in.

The incident has prompted an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which will work to determine the exact cause of the landing gear failure and whether any additional factors contributed to the crash. The Learjet, registered to Chromed in Hollywood, Inc., a Wyoming-based company where Neil is listed as a director, was traveling from Austin, Texas, at the time of the accident. Scottsdale Aviation Director Gary P. Mascaro praised the first responders for their rapid and professional response, saying, “We offer our deepest condolences to those affected by this tragedy.”

In the aftermath of the crash, the Scottsdale Airport announced that the runway reopened at 10:38 p.m. on Monday, allowing normal operations to resume. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the risks inherent in aviation, even for experienced pilots and state-of-the-art aircraft. As investigators work to piece together the events leading up to the crash, the community continues to mourn the loss of Joie Vitosky and pray for the recovery of those injured. The crash also underscores the importance of swift emergency response and the resilience of those who work tirelessly to save lives in the face of disaster.