HA-420 HondaJet N57HP

The people on board the HA-420 HondaJet business aircraft, registration N57HP, had no escape when, late yesterday afternoon, after aborting takeoff, it crashed through the perimeter fence of the Mesa-Falcon Field airport, Maricopa County, Arizona, plunging in its mad rush into a vehicle that was travelling on the nearby North Greenfield Road, catching fire, aided by the full tank of fuel.

It appears that the plane had accelerated to about 133 knots on the ground, before terminating its takeoff run about 3,400 feet along the runway. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft, which in fact first broke through the fence and then crashed into the car. The writer recalls a similar incident that occurred quite a few years ago at Rome's Urbe airport, when the one involved was a van parked beyond the perimeter fence, destroyed by the uncontrolled rush of a plane that ended up off the runway.

As then, also in this case it seems that the airport runway, "5101 x 100 feet, paved and in good condition", is not to blame, the authorities explain. Needless to say, investigations are underway to determine the causes of a tragedy that has claimed five victims (it is not yet clear how many on board and how many on the ground).

The HA-420 HondaJet is the first aircraft created by Honda Motor Company. This light business jet is developed and built at a facility located at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is powered by two GE Honda HF120 turbofans, can accommodate 5-6 people on board, and its first flight dates back to December 3, 2003.