Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil was celebrating his birthday in Florida when his private jet crashed at an Arizona airport, killing a veteran pilot and hospitalizing his girlfriend on Monday. Neil, who turned 64 on Feb.

While Vince Neil's private jet was involved in a fatal accident earlier this week, killing his longtime pilot and injuring three others, the rocker was not onboard at the time of the incident. Now, one of his good friends has revealed why Neil was not traveling on the ill-fated flight when it lost control upon touching down in Scottsdale,

Vince Neil's birthday party in Florida may have been a lifesaver ... because it's the reason the Mötley Crüe frontman wasn't onboard a doomed private jet flight that killed his longtime pilot.

Vince Neil narrowly escaped from the plane crash that killed his long-time pilot on Monday, thanks to the Motley Crue frontman's decision to celebrate his 64th birthday in Florida. The private jet owned by Neil crashed while landing at Scottsdale Airport after a reported landing gear failure.

The plane that was landing is a Learjet owned by Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil, according to a representative for the singer. The jet had two pilots and two passengers, but Neil was not on board.