The City of Mesa, Arizona is currently defending several major lawsuits and legal claims, including a federal challenge from flight schools over new Falcon Field Airport landing fees, notices of claim totaling $243.4 million from families of victims in a fatal 2024 plane crash, and a string of police excessive-force cases that have already produced an $8 million settlement over the fatal shooting of Daniel Shaver. An Arizona Supreme Court decision in a Mesa case also recently tightened the rules for anyone trying to sue the city.
Flight Schools Sue Over Falcon Field Landing Fees
Two flight schools, CAE Aviation Academy and Thrust Flight Properties, filed a federal lawsuit against Mesa in May 2026 to block collection of new landing fees at Falcon Field Airport. The case, CAE Aviation Academy Phoenix LLC et al v. Mesa, City of, was assigned case number 2:26-cv-03325 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona before Judge Krissa M. Lanham.1PACER Monitor. CAE Aviation Academy Phoenix LLC et al v. Mesa, City of
The Mesa City Council approved the fee structure on March 23, 2026. Fixed-wing aircraft under 6,000 pounds are charged roughly $20 per landing after ten free landings each month, transient aircraft of the same weight class pay about $24 per landing, and larger planes are charged based on weight.2AOPA. FAA Asks Arizona City to Delay Falcon Field Fees The flight schools allege the fees raise “serious safety, financial and fairness concerns.”3Your Valley. Two Flight Schools Suing Mesa Over New Falcon Field Airport Landing Fees
The plaintiffs moved for a preliminary injunction the day after filing the complaint. Mesa filed a motion to dismiss the case entirely on June 16, 2026.1PACER Monitor. CAE Aviation Academy Phoenix LLC et al v. Mesa, City of
The FAA Weighed In Against the City
The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Airport Compliance warned that Mesa’s fee plan “may be inconsistent with the City’s Federal obligations, both grant assurances and Surplus Property Act conveyance obligations,” and raised concerns the fees could “jeopardize or disrupt the Acceptable Level of Safety” by prompting diversions, go-arounds, and pattern saturation. Two Part 13 complaints have been filed, and the FAA indicated it may open a separate Part 16 investigation, a step that could jeopardize Mesa’s eligibility for federal airport funding.2AOPA. FAA Asks Arizona City to Delay Falcon Field Fees The agency formally asked the city to delay implementation while it assessed systemwide impacts.
Mesa’s Response
Mesa stated publicly that the lawsuit “lacks legal merit” and that the fees are necessary to cover operational costs, maintenance, and the long-term financial sustainability of Falcon Field. The city retained Anderson Kreiger, a firm with decades of experience defending municipal airport fee programs in federal proceedings. Despite the litigation and FAA scrutiny, Mesa announced plans to activate fee collection technology on July 30, 2026 and begin billing on August 1, 2026.4Mesa Now. City of Mesa Statement on Falcon Field Landing Fee Lawsuit
$243 Million in Claims From the Falcon Field Plane Crash
On November 5, 2024, a Honda HA-420 HondaJet aborted takeoff on Runway 22L at Falcon Field. The crew reached about 133 knots and traveled roughly 3,400 feet before rejecting the takeoff, but the aircraft could not stop in the remaining runway distance. It overran the runway, broke through a perimeter fence, and struck a car on North Greenfield Road before catching fire. Five people died: the two pilots, two passengers, and Raymond Longhi, the driver of the car. One passenger survived.5BAAA-ACRO. Mesa Falcon Field Accident Record
Families of the five victims filed notices of claim against Mesa totaling $243.4 million, alleging the city failed to maintain safe conditions around the runway.6Queen Creek Tribune. Plane Crash Victims’ Families Want $243M From Mesa The Longhi family’s individual claim demands $60 million.7AZ Family. Families of Falcon Field Plane Crash Victims Sue Over Safety Failures
The claims center on the proximity of Greenfield Road to the runway. The road sits within the airport’s Runway Protection Zone and carries about 20,000 vehicle trips a day.6Queen Creek Tribune. Plane Crash Victims’ Families Want $243M From Mesa Attorneys for the families argue that the runway has been extended twice since first activated in 1941 and is now roughly double its original length, bringing its end directly adjacent to the road.7AZ Family. Families of Falcon Field Plane Crash Victims Sue Over Safety Failures They contend that Mesa failed to install barriers at the runway’s end, failed to maintain an adequate Runway Safety Area, and had multiple opportunities to reroute Greenfield Road out of the protection zone, including a 2022 FAA advisory about eliminating such hazards, but chose not to.
Under Arizona law, notices of claim are precursors to lawsuits. If the city does not respond within 60 days, the claims are deemed denied and the families may file formal lawsuits.6Queen Creek Tribune. Plane Crash Victims’ Families Want $243M From Mesa The city has not publicly commented, citing the pending litigation.
Police Excessive Force Cases
Mesa Police Department has been a defendant in several notable use-of-force lawsuits, some already resolved and others still active.
Daniel Shaver: $8 Million Settlement
On January 18, 2016, Mesa Police Officer Phillip Brailsford shot and killed Daniel Shaver in a hallway at a La Quinta Inn while officers were responding to reports of someone pointing a rifle from a window. Shaver, who was unarmed, was ordered to crawl toward officers. Brailsford fired when Shaver reached toward his waistband, later testifying he believed Shaver was reaching for a weapon. A pellet rifle was found in Shaver’s hotel room.8ABC15. $8M Settlement After Deadly Mesa Police Shooting of Daniel Shaver Now Funded
Brailsford was charged with second-degree murder and acquitted at trial. He was fired after the shooting and later allowed to retire on an accidental disability pension. In November 2022, the city reached an $8 million settlement with Laney Sweet, Shaver’s widow. Her attorneys described it as the highest settlement for a deceased victim in Arizona and more than double Mesa’s previous largest payout. The settlement was fully funded by January 2023.8ABC15. $8M Settlement After Deadly Mesa Police Shooting of Daniel Shaver Now Funded As part of the agreement, the city committed to placing a memorial tree and bench for Shaver at Mesa’s Countryside Park.
Spencer v. Pew: $150,000 Settlement
Cole Spencer sued Mesa SWAT officer Aaron Pew and three other officers over a 2018 arrest in which Spencer alleged he was beaten, Tasered, and choked. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied qualified immunity to Officer Pew, and Mesa settled the case for $150,000 in the summer of 2025. The ruling established a precedent on the use of force against individuals who are handcuffed and lying face-down. The department subsequently updated its training to emphasize restraint techniques focused on a subject’s hips rather than the neck or spine.9ABC15. Mesa Man Who Acted as His Own Lawyer From Prison Settles Police Excessive Force Case Despite multiple use-of-force complaints over his career, Officer Pew was promoted to sergeant and reassigned from SWAT to the bike squad.
Cockrell v. City of Mesa
Darnay Cockrell sued the City of Mesa and officers Helfrich and Brown in 2025 in Maricopa County Superior Court, alleging excessive force and racial discrimination. According to the complaint, Cockrell called 911 in August 2024 seeking help after his ex-girlfriend tried to take his four-year-old daughter. When officers arrived, they ordered him to the ground. When he did not comply, they forced him onto the asphalt and handcuffed him, with at least one officer placing a knee on his back. Cockrell alleges the officers treated him as a criminal suspect “because he is African American, tall, and physically fit,” and that he suffered back and knee injuries, lost his job, and was evicted as a result.10AZ Central. Father Sues Mesa, Two Police Officers Alleging Excessive Force
The case was removed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona in December 2025 and assigned case number 2:2025-cv-04535. Mesa and Officer Helfrich moved to dismiss on December 30, 2025, and Officer Brown joined that motion in February 2026.11Justia Dockets. Cockrell v. City of Mesa et al, Case No. 2:2025-cv-04535 Mesa police previously stated the officers did not violate department policies but would receive additional training.10AZ Central. Father Sues Mesa, Two Police Officers Alleging Excessive Force
$6 Million in Claims From Crashes With City Drivers
Four drivers filed separate claims totaling roughly $6 million against Mesa, each involving collisions with city employees or police officers, according to the Mesa Tribune:
- Caleb Mims filed a $5 million claim after Officer Hayden Minarchin allegedly T-boned him at Country Club Drive and Holmes Avenue in June while responding to an emergency without activating his light bar. Mims reported whiplash, a cervical spine sprain, and a bulging disc.
- Ivory Ward filed a claim of approximately $603,000 after Officer Tyler Magee allegedly rear-ended his car on Loop 101 near the Rio Salado Parkway interchange in May. Ward reported bulging discs, a concussion, and neurological issues.
- Gerald De Leon filed a $450,000 claim after Officer Chad Shershen allegedly rear-ended him on a US 60 off-ramp in June. De Leon was described as “severely injured.”
- Stephanie Gallo filed a $200,000 claim after Thalia Padilla, a city employee, allegedly turned left into her car at Rio Salado Parkway and Alma School Road in May. Gallo alleged reckless indifference in assigning Padilla to drive a city vehicle.
Each was filed as a notice of claim, the mandatory legal precursor to a lawsuit against an Arizona municipality.12The Mesa Tribune. Claims for $6M Filed Against City of Mesa
An Arizona Supreme Court Ruling Raised the Bar for Suing Mesa
In October 2024, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a ruling in City of Mesa v. Ryan/Rogers (No. CV-23-0284-PR) that makes it harder to sue Arizona municipalities, Mesa included. The case arose from a November 2021 incident in which a Mesa police patrol car driven by officer Gustavo Williams struck cyclist Philip Rogers. Rogers filed a notice of claim offering to settle for “$1,000,000 or the applicable policy limits, whichever are greater.”13FindLaw. City of Mesa v. Philip Rogers
The court ruled that language was too vague to satisfy A.R.S. ยง 12-821.01(A), which requires a “specific amount” for which a claim can be settled. Because Mesa’s insurance structure, a $3 million self-insured retention layered with additional policies, made “applicable policy limits” impossible to pin down, the court held Rogers had failed to state a certain figure. His lawsuit was barred entirely.13FindLaw. City of Mesa v. Philip Rogers The decision reinforced that claimants must provide either an exact dollar amount or a formula leaving “no room for debate” about what the government entity would need to pay.14Arizona Courts. Arizona Supreme Court Issues Opinion on Compliance With Notice of Claim Requirements For anyone considering a claim against Mesa, that means the dollar figure on the notice of claim is not a placeholder to negotiate from. Get it wrong, and the lawsuit never gets off the ground.