Vince Neil narrowly avoided being involved in the horrific crash involving his private jet that killed his longtime pilot.
The Mötley Crüe frontman wasn’t on the plane at the time of the tragic incident at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday. There were two pilots and two passengers – Vince’s girlfriend Rain Andreani and her friend – on the musician’s plane. Rain, 43, has suffered five broken ribs and her friend Ashley is believed to have sustained severe injuries and is in hospital.
Vince’s plane crashed against a parked jet as it arrived at the airport as 78-year-old pilot Joie Vitosky died. It has now been revealed why the iconic singer wasn’t on the doomed plane, which may have proved as a lifesaver. His close friend Lance Graves has shared how Vince and his friends were in Florida celebrating his 64th birthday.
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Fox10)
Rain flew out to Arizona with her pal to check in for a gig at the Royal Crown barrel racing competition, Lance told TMZ. However, Vince didn’t need to be there until the Thursday and so stayed in Florida to soak up the sun. Rain will no longer be competing in the barrel race as she recovers from her injuries.
Vince and the pilot Joie had worked together for years, according to the pal, as the musician felt there was a loyalty between them. Joie had retired from commercial airlines and Vince wanted to support him. Mötley Crüe’s official social media account shared a statement following the news as they said: “Earlier today, a private plane owned by Vince Neil was involved in a crash near Scottsdale, AZ.
“The pilot was tragically killed; the co-pilot and other passengers were taken to local hospitals. Vince was not on the plane. Vince‘s girlfriend and her friend suffered injuries, albeit not life-threatening. While details are still emerging, our hearts go out to the families about the pilot who lost his life in the passengers who suffered injuries. Mötley Crüe will announce a way to help support the family of the deceased pilot -stand by for an announcement very soon.”
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Getty Images)
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Joie’s daughter Jana Schertzer has since spoke out following the loss of her father as she believes her dad’s actions during the incident saved the lives of the others on board. Speaking to The Arizona Republic, she said: “I honestly, wholeheartedly believe that the reason those other passengers are alive — it’s because of how he handled it yesterday.”
Jana also said that despite her father’s age, he was still in perfect health and had “better than 20/20 vision”. His ex-wife Ann Vitosky had said he joined the Marine Corps in his early twenties because he wanted to fly. She said she believes he had been flying for Neil for ‘a few’ years. He had also piloted other celebrities and big names, including Ronald Reagan’s daughter Maureen Reagan and oil barons.
A statement from Worrick Robinson Law after the incident read: “At 2:39p.m. local time, a Learjet aircraft Model 35A owned by Vince Neil was attempting to land at the Scottsdale Airport. For reasons unknown at this time, the plane veered from the runway causing it to collide with another parked plane. On board Mr. Neil’s plane there were two pilots and two passengers. Mr. Neil was not on the plane.
“More specific details regarding the collision are not available as this is a rapidly evolving situation and there is an ongoing investigation. Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all the first responders assisting today.”
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Source: Mirror
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