Air Ambulance Crash in New Mexico Kills 4 Crew Members

A medical plane crash early May 14 in southeastern New Mexico killed all four crew members aboard, the company said.

“Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, friends, and coworkers of those lost in this tragedy,” Trans Aero MedEvac said in a statement. “We ask everyone to continue keeping the families of our crew members, as well as the first responders and personnel actively working this crisis, in your thoughts and prayers.”

The crew departed from Roswell, New Mexico, in a King Air fixed-wing aircraft in the early morning hours and crashed in a forest area of the Capitan Mountains near Ruidoso around 4 a.m. while en route to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, about 70 miles to the west.

The crew was on a medical transport mission and no patients were on board at the time, according to the company.

The plane was reported overdue after communications and radar contact were lost, authorities said.

First responders and federal investigators were at the crash site, which remained an active emergency scene throughout the day.

The impact sparked a fire, which could be seen by residents in the nearby town.

Lincoln County emergency services were called in after they received reports of a fire in the mountain area, and several agencies responded.

“Lincoln County can confirm that the aircraft has been located and that there were four souls on board,” county manager Jason Burns said in a press release.

The crew members were confirmed dead at the scene, Burns said.

Authorities are not releasing the identities of the people on board until they are able to notify their family members.

“At this time, the cause of the crash is unknown and remains under investigation,” Burns said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the families, loved ones, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.”

Lincoln County Sheriff Michael Wood extended his condolences to the families of those lost in a Facebook video.

“I’ll tell you that this is a devastating loss,” Wood said. “This one hits closer to home than just geographics. We’re going to be out here a while.”

Firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service were fighting the fire that had grown to less than five acres.

Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were contacted and involved in the response, along with state and local agencies.

The use of airplanes and helicopters as air ambulances and medical transportation has grown in the United States since 2000, along with the number of serious and fatal accidents involving them.

According to the National Institutes of Health, 87 accidents and 239 fatalities were recorded from January 2000 through December 2020 involving these types of aircraft.