Vince Neil’s private plane was in a crash that sadly took the life of the pilot, Joie Vitosky. Vince was not on the plane because he stayed in Florida to celebrate his 64th birthday. His girlfriend, Rain, was on board and got hurt.
The plane, a Learjet 35A, took off from Austin, Texas, and was going to Scottsdale, Arizona. When it tried to land, the landing gear failed, and the plane crashed into another parked plane. Sadly, the pilot, Joie Vitosky, died. The co-pilot and two passengers were taken to the hospital with injuries.
Joie Vitosky was 78 years old and had been flying for 60 years. He started as a Marine pilot flying helicopters before moving to jets. His daughter, Jana Schertzer, said he was a great pilot and helped save the passengers’ lives. She also said his vision was perfect, better than 20/20.
Mötley Crüe made a statement after the crash, saying:
“Earlier today, a private plane owned by Vince Neil crashed near Scottsdale, AZ. The pilot sadly passed away. The co-pilot and other passengers were taken to the hospital. Vince was not on the plane.”
A close friend, Lance Graves, told TMZ that Vince avoided the crash because he was in Florida celebrating his birthday. Since he didn’t need to be in Arizona yet, he stayed behind.
Vince’s girlfriend, Rain, was on the flight with a friend for a horse event. She broke five ribs in the crash, and her friend and the co-pilot were also injured.
Vince is very sad about losing his pilot, who was also a close friend. Mötley Crüe’s manager said the band will help the pilot’s family and share more details soon.
This accident has deeply affected Vince, as he lost a trusted friend and pilot.
