Joie Vitosky Obituary, Death; – The pilot who lost his life in a collision between a private aircraft and a business jet at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona has been identified as 78-year-old Joie Vitosky, as reported by the Scottsdale Police Department.
According to FAA records, Vitosky had been certified as a flight engineer since 1978 and obtained his pilot certification in 2019.
A native of Okemah, Oklahoma, Vitosky enlisted in the Marine Corps in his early twenties with aspirations of becoming a pilot, as shared by his ex-wife, Ann Vitosky, to the Associated Press. He served as a Marine Corps aviator and flew helicopters during the Vietnam War in 1969. After more than ten years in the Marine Corps, he transitioned to flying Learjets.
Vitosky tragically died when the jet he was piloting veered off the runway and collided with a parked aircraft while attempting to land on Monday at approximately 2:45 p.m. Kelli Kuester, a coordinator at Scottsdale Airport, speculated that the jet’s landing gear may have failed prior to the incident.
The aircraft was carrying four individuals: two pilots and two passengers. The other three occupants of the jet sustained injuries, with two being transported to local trauma centers and one reported to be in stable condition at a different hospital.
A crew member on the parked plane was confirmed to have not sustained serious injuries, as stated by the plane’s owners to the Associated Press. Notably, one of the jets involved in the incident—the Learjet that struck the parked aircraft—was owned by Vince Neil, the frontman of Mötley Crüe.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the band expressed their condolences: “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.”
A statement from Neil’s attorney on Monday confirmed that the jet was in the process of landing at Scottsdale Airport when it veered off the runway.
“Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all first responders assisting today,” the statement concluded.
