Two private jets crash at Arizona airport; 1 dead, several others injured

By Eliyahu Kamisher  Two private jets collided at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday, leaving at least one person dead and injuring several others, officials said.

 

Scottsdale Fire Captain Dave Folio told reporters that at least five people were involved in the crash. Two were transported to hospital trauma centers, while another remains in stable condition at a hospital. One person was trapped in the wreckage, Folio said.

 

The collision occurred at about 2:45 p.m. local time when a Learjet 35A veered off the runway after landing and crashed into a parked Gulfstream 200, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration. The airport, about 20 miles from downtown Phoenix, is temporarily pausing flights as investigators assess the scene. 

 

This incident adds to a growing list of aviation accidents over the past two weeks. On the night of Jan. 29, an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with a regional jet, flying under the banner of American Eagle, as it was approaching the runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. 

 

Two days later, a Learjet 55 medical aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in Philadelphia, killing seven people and leaving at least 24 others injured. The crash of a small commuter aircraft in Alaska last week left 10 people dead.