Arizona
Dallas veteran was pilot killed in Arizona plane crash involving singer Vince Neil's jet
Dallas vet killed in Arizona plane crash
Joe Vitosky, 78, was flying Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil’s jet from Austin, Texas, to Arizona on Monday when it crashed with a parked Gulfstream Jet. His daughter believes how her father reacted likely saved other people’s lives.
DALLAS – An experienced aviator from Dallas has been identified as the man killed in a plane crash in Arizona this week.
Joe Vitosky, 78, was piloting the jet owned by Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil when it crashed, killing him.
The pilot’s daughter says she heard the majority of the information through the news Monday. She learned the plane belonged to Neil, and she knew immediately.
Scottsdale Plane Crash Investigation
What we know:
Joe Vitosky was piloting a jet on Monday from Austin, Texas, to Scottsdale, Arizona.
Video from the runway shows the Learjet colliding with a parked Gulfstream Jet.
Officials say the Learjet’s landing gear failed.
Vitosky was killed. Three others on the plane were hurt.
One person on the parked Gulfstream was injured.
“If there would have been anybody there who could have done anything in this situation, I wholeheartedly believe he did it, and he saved their lives,” said Jane Schertzer, Vitosky’s daughter.
Multiple investigations into the crash are still underway.
Debris was still being cleared from the Scottsdale Airport on Wednesday.
Schertzer says at 78, her father was still mentally and physically fit.
“You still have to go through all these physicals and other things,” she said. “They won’t let you fly if you can’t pass them. Well, he passed with flying colors.”
Vitosky’s Life in the Skies
The backstory:
Joe Vitosky spent his life mostly in the air.
The seasoned aviator flew choppers and fighter jets in the U.S. Marines, serving in Vietnam.
Vitosky worked for American Airlines and then went on to become a longtime flight instructor at Southwest Airlines.
In addition to time with commercial aviation, Vitosky flew private charter planes.
Dallas was his home for 25 years.
Schertzer, who lives in Mississippi, wants her father’s life to be remembered with deep ties to North Texas.
“My dad lives there, and he is married. His wife lives there and overseas between the two. He always travels back and forth. He’s literally a world traveler,” she said.
What’s next:
Schertzer is still working on her father’s funeral plans.
Vitosky’s body is still part of the ongoing NTSB investigation.
The Source: Information in this article comes from an interview with Joe Vitosky’s daughter and the Scottsdale Police Department.