A tragic aviation accident in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday resulted in one fatality and injuries to at least three others after a business jet—owned by Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe—collided with another plane upon landing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a Learjet 35A veered off the runway at Scottsdale Municipal Airport around 2:45 p.m., crashing into a parked Gulfstream 200 business jet.
During a press conference, officials reported that the left main landing gear of the Learjet failed upon touchdown, leading to the accident.
Vince Neil was not aboard the plane, which had taken off from Austin, Texas, earlier that day, according to his spokesperson.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, where they treated five individuals. One person was pronounced dead, while three others were transported to a local hospital for medical care. Another individual refused treatment at the scene, according to Capt. Dave Folio of the Scottsdale Fire Department.
An accident has occurred upon arrival to runway 21. Fire Department is on scene assessing the situation. Scottsdale Airports runway is currently closed. pic.twitter.com/soWypWJd2n
— Scottsdale Airport (@FlyScottsdale) February 10, 2025
Initially, Mötley Crüe released a statement on social media identifying the deceased as the pilot and confirming that Neil’s girlfriend and a friend of hers had been injured in the crash.
However, that statement was later removed and replaced with a more general update. The revised statement did not specify the names of those injured or killed but confirmed that four people were aboard the aircraft—two pilots and two passengers.
The updated statement from Mötley Crüe emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation, saying, “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 first responders assisting today.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has taken over the investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Scottsdale Airport is a hub for private and corporate jets and does not serve commercial airline flights. The incident occurred just after the PGA Tour’s Phoenix Open, one of the busiest periods for air traffic at the airport. With the recent increase in aviation accidents across the U.S., this crash raises further concerns about flight safety and aircraft maintenance.
Investigators will now work to determine the factors that led to the Learjet’s landing gear failure and subsequent collision. The aviation community and fans of Mötley Crüe await further updates as authorities piece together the events leading up to the fatal crash.