Five people died on November 5, 2024, when a Honda HA-420 HondaJet slid off the end of a runway at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona, tore through the perimeter fence and hit a car on the road beyond. One passenger survived with severe burns.
The jet, registered N57HP, was cleared for takeoff from runway 22L at about 4:39 p.m. local time, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot acknowledged the clearance. Nothing more was heard from him.
What the NTSB found
Security video showed the plane accelerating until roughly 3,000 feet down the runway, with about 2,100 feet left. Then it began to slow. It ran off the departure end near the centerline, held its heading, and struck the fence about 600 feet past the pavement. It crossed the road and hit a single vehicle, then stopped upright on the far side. The fuselage broke apart ahead of the wings, and fire followed.
Flight data recovered from the plane’s Garmin G3000 avionics showed it had reached about 130 knots before slowing, with no engine problems recorded. ADS-B data put the peak speed at 133 knots and the start of the aborted takeoff about 3,400 feet along the runway. The runway is 5,101 feet long and 100 feet wide.
The NTSB’s preliminary report, released on December 4, found no sign of a part coming off the aircraft before it hit the fence. Investigators confirmed that the flight controls were continuous from cockpit to control surfaces. They found the brake and anti-skid systems free of anomalies. The control column gust lock was found uninstalled. The report is preliminary and subject to change, and the investigation is continuing.
The flight
The survivor told investigators the group was flying from Mesa to Provo Municipal Airport in Utah to watch a college basketball game, and planned to come home that night. They carried no luggage. A friend who helped them board said the pilot had fueled the plane from a private tank and expected to refuel in Provo before the return leg. The flight was a Part 91 personal trip.
Four of the five on board, including the pilot, were killed. The driver of the struck vehicle also died. Authorities were still notifying next of kin when the first accounts were published, so that driver’s name was not released.
Remembering two of the victims
On the evening of Saturday, November 9, hundreds of people gathered at Valencia Park in south Chandler for a vigil. They came to honor Drew Kimball, 44, and his son Grahm Kimball, 12, who died in the crash. Friends and relatives spoke and prayed. Music was played. Speakers described a father and son known for their close bond and lively personalities.
