MESA, Ariz. (AP) — A 12-year-old boy was among five people who died in the fiery crash of a small business jet near a suburban Phoenix airport, authorities said Wednesday.
Preliminary information indicated the six-seater HondaJet HA-420 aircraft was headed to Provo, Utah, when it aborted takeoff at the Falcon Field airport in Mesa on Tuesday afternoon. The plane crashed through the airport's metal fence before colliding with a vehicle that was traveling on a road west of the airport, according to authorities.
Aviation International News said data shows the HondaJet accelerated to more than 153 mph on a 5,100-foot runway before taxiing about 1,300 feet from the end of the runway. The jet then slowed to about 118 mph by the runway’s end.
Ian Petchenik, a spokesman for Flightradar24 that shows air traffic in real time, said the HondaJet was traveling 78.25 mph at its last recorded position before the crash.
It was not immediately clear why the plane was not able to take off. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation with help from the Federal Aviation Administration and Mesa authorities.
Four of the five passengers aboard the jet died at the scene, Mesa police said Wednesday. The unidentified pilot was hospitalized with serious burn injuries.
Those aboard the plane included 12-year-old Graham Kimball and his 44-year-old father, Drew Kimball. The two other victims were Rustin Randall, 48, and Spencer Lindahl, 43, who were both listed as managers of Ice Man Holdings LLC, a company based in Mesa.
The driver of the vehicle also died at the scene. Authorities were withholding the person's name pending positive identification.
This image taken from video by KNXV-TV/ABC 15 Arizona shows smoke rising from a deadly plane crash Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Mesa, Ariz. (KNXV-TV/ABC 15 Arizona via AP)
5 people are killed in Arizona when a plane crashes through an airport fence and collides with a car
5 people are killed in Arizona when a plane crashes through an airport fence and collides with a car
HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba on Wednesday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, shortly after powerful winds knocked out the country’s power grid.
Forecasters warned Rafael could bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods to western swaths of the island after it knocked out power and dumped rain on the Cayman Islands and Jamaica the day before.
The storm was located 40 miles (65 kilometers) south-southwest of Havana on Wednesday. It had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) and was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is bad news for Cuba, which is struggling with devastating blackouts while recovering from another hurricane two weeks ago that killed at least six people in the eastern part of the island.
On Wednesday, the Cuban government issued an alert for the incoming storm while crews in Havana worked to fortify buildings and clear scraps from seaside areas in anticipation of flooding.
Classes and public transport were suspended on parts of the island and authorities canceled flights in and out Havana and Varadero. Meanwhile, thousands of people in the west of the island were evacuated as a prevention measure.
Silvia Pérez, a 72-year-old retiree living in a coastal area of Havana was among those scrambling to prepare. As other neighbors moved appliances and other furniture from ground floor homes, Pérez stocked up on water and food.
“This is a night I don’t want to sleep through, between the battering air and the trees,” Pérez said. “I’m scared for my friends and family.”
Forecasters expected the storm to weaken over Cuba before emerging in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as a hurricane.
The U.S. State Department issued an advisory for Cuba on Tuesday afternoon, offering departure flights to non-essential staff and American citizens, and advising others to “reconsider travel to Cuba due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Rafael.”
On Tuesday morning, the Cuban Civil Defense called on Cubans to prepare as soon as possible, because when the storm makes landfall “it’s important to stay where you are.”
A hurricane warning was in effect Wednesday for the Cuban provinces of Pinar del Rio, Artemisa, La Habana, Mayabeque, Matanzas and the Isle of Youth.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Cuban provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Ciego de Avila, as well as the lower and middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge, and Dry Tortugas.
The storm on Tuesday knocked out power in parts of Jamaica and unleashed flooding and landslides. The Jamaica Public Service, the island’s electricity provider, said in a statement late Tuesday that impassable roads were preventing crews from restoring power in some areas.
Power outages were reported across the Cayman Islands after a direct hit late Tuesday, and schools remained closed on Wednesday.
“While conditions have improved on Grand Cayman, residents are advised to exercise extreme caution on the roads and near coastlines as rough seas and residual flooding risks may persist,” the government said in a statement.
Heavy rainfall also was expected to spread north into Florida and nearby areas of the southeast U.S. during the middle to late part of the week. The Hurricane Center predicted storm surges in Florida could reach up to 3 feet in Dry Tortugas and between 1 and 2 feet in the Lower Florida Keys. A few tornadoes also were expected Wednesday over the Keys and southwestern Florida.
Rafael is the 17th named storm of the season.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the 2024 hurricane season was likely to be well above average, with between 17 and 25 named storms. The forecast called for as many as 13 hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
Associated Press reporter Megan Janetsky contributed from Mexico City.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Rafael on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in the Caribbean. (NOAA via AP)
Waves crash against the jetty at the Bal Harbour Lighthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Bal Harbour, Fla. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A worker cuts the branches of the palm tree on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Miami Beach, Fla. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A surfer looks the waves crashing against the jetty at the Bal Harbour Lighthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Bal Harbour, Fla. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP)
A man walks past the the U.S. Embassy during rains brought on by tropical storm Rafael in Kingston, Jamaica, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
