Victims’ Families Cite Improper Separation Between Airport and Road Ops

After five people were killed in a plane-to-car collision last year, their families have hit Mesa, Arizona, with a $360 million lawsuit. They accuse the city of failing to maintain proper separation between aircraft and drivers.

The referenced accident occurred on November 5, 2024, at around 4:39 pm local time. The aircraft, a Honda HA420 registered as N57HP, was being used to transport five people from Falcon Field Airport (FFZ) to Provo Municipal Airport (PVU) in Utah for a college basketball game.

The NTSB’s preliminary report claims that, after being cleared for takeoff, the pilot entered the runway and accelerated. After getting around 3,000 feet down the runway, leaving 2,100 feet remaining, the plane began to decelerate. It overran the runway while maintaining runway heading, hit the airport perimeter fence, and entered a roadway. The plane collided with a vehicle and came to a stop upright on the far side of the road before catching fire.

Four of the five on board, including 44-year-old Drew Kimball, 12-year-old Grahm Kimball, 43-year-old Spencer Lindahl, and 48-year-old Rustin Randall, were killed. The final occupant, 18-year-old Kimball Lindahl, survived the crash with major injuries. The victim in the car was identified as 67-year-old Ray Longhi.

Now, the victim’s families are seeking reparation. They have filed a notice of claim for over $360 million against the city of Mesa. The case argues that Mesa did not keep airport and aircraft operations far enough away from drivers.

With the NTSB final report still in the works, blame for the crash and the associated death of five people has yet to be placed.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov