Report sheds light on plane crash that killed 5 at Falcon Field in Mesa

Investigators found no mechanical failures in the Mesa plane crash that killed five people in early November, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday from the National Transportation Safety Board.

No engine abnormalities were noted in the flight log data, and inspectors found no issues with the airplane brake and anti-skid system, the report said. The cause of the Election Day crash at Falcon Field Airport was not identified, though it's not uncommon for such investigations to take many months to complete.

Security footage shows that the multimillion-dollar jet accelerated on the runway but suddenly decelerated and overran the end of the runway, the report said. The plane never left the ground before the fiery crash, consistent with what witnesses said.

The crash resulted in the death of four people on the plane and one vehicle driver.

How did the Falcon Field crash happen?

Around 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 5, the six-passenger Honda HA-420 plowed through a field at the end of a Falcon Field Airport runway, tore into a fence, slid onto Greenfield Road, hit a vehicle and crashed into an orchard, a witness told police.

The jet's main body fractured near the point where the wings connected to the body, and a post-impact fire ensued, the report said.

The passengers were on their way to Provo, Utah, for a college basketball game, according to the lone survivor of the crash, 18-year-old Kimball Lindahl.

The air traffic controller cleared the pilot for takeoff, which the pilot acknowledged, the report said. There was no further communication between the two.

A person interviewed by the NTSB said the pilot had sufficiently fueled the plane prior to the flight and was planning to fuel up again before they left Utah. They had planned to return that night after the game and had not packed any luggage, Kimball Lindahl told the NTSB.

Who died in the Falcon Field crash?

Police identified the four killed in the plane as Drew Kimball, 44, Grahm Kimball, 12, Spencer Lindahl, 43, and Rustin Randall, 48. They were all from Arizona.

The driver of a red Lexus, 67-year-old Ray Longhi, was killed in the collision as well. Longhi was the father of former Arizona Republic reporter Lorraine Longhi.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Report sheds light on fatal plane crash at Falcon Field in Mesa