At least one person was killed and several others were injured when two private jets collided Monday afternoon at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona. Authorities reported that a midsize business jet, arriving from Austin, Texas, veered off the runway and crashed into a parked Gulfstream 200 jet.
Kelli Kuester, aviation planning and outreach coordinator at the airport, stated that the arriving jet’s primary landing gear appeared to have failed, leading to the collision. Emergency responders arrived swiftly, with two injured individuals transported to trauma centres, while another remains in stable condition at a local hospital. Scottsdale Fire Department Capt. Dave Folio confirmed efforts to recover the body of the deceased victim.
The runway has been closed indefinitely as officials investigate the incident. Scottsdale Airport serves as a major hub for private jets, particularly during major sporting events like the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament, which is currently attracting large crowds nearby.
US aviation disasters
This tragic accident follows a series of aviation incidents in the U.S. over the past two weeks. On Jan. 29, a commercial jetliner and an Army helicopter collided near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. On Jan. 31, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing seven, and last week, a commuter plane crash in Alaska resulted in 10 fatalities. The Scottsdale incident raises fresh concerns about aviation safety as investigations continue.
(With AP inputs)