Pilot arrested after crashing jet in Mesquite had previous DUI
A commercial jet pilot who was arrested on suspicion of flying while drunk after crashing Wednesday night at Mesquite Municipal Airport has a DUI arrest on his record.
The twin-engine Cessna 550 commercial jet crashed about 7:20 p.m. while the pilot was attempting to land at the airport, at 1200 Kitty Hawk Drive, and then caught fire, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor. Firefighters from the Mesquite Fire & Rescue Department extinguished the blaze.
The pilot, 41-year-old Ryan Dashiell of Spokane, Washington, was the only person on the plane.
Police took Dashiell to the hospital, Mesquite Police Department Capt. Quinn Averett said in an emailed statement. Dashiell was arrested on suspicion of operating an aircraft while under the influence of alcohol, the department said in a news release.
Dashiell was set to be booked into the Clark County Detention Center on the gross misdemeanor charge, the department said.
Dashiell was arrested in October 2007 in the Spokane Valley on suspicion of driving under the influence and negligent driving, according to court records. The records indicate he was found guilty of two counts of negligent driving, fined $1,097.28 and ordered to serve three days in jail and two years on probation.
A Spokane police spokesman, Sgt. Terry Preuninger, confirmed the arrest but said he did not have details on the case.
Dashiell has been a registered airline transport pilot since 2015, according to documents from the FAA.
The jet is owned by Avia Jet LLC, which could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash, and Gregor said it could take the agency over a year to determine the cause. The plane was traveling from Pasco, Washington, to Henderson Executive Airport, Gregor said.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter. Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.