All four people aboard a medical transport aircraft were killed after a Beechcraft C90 King Air (tail number N249CP) crashed in a wooded area near Ruidoso in New Mexico early Thursday morning, causing a small forest fire. The aircraft was destroyed.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft had departed from Roswell Air Center and was en route to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport when it crashed at around 4 a.m. local time.
Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns confirmed at a news conference that all four occupants died at the scene. The aircraft was operated by Trans Aero MedEvac, which said the victims were members of its team.
The crash occurred in a remote wooded area in the Capitan Mountain region, where emergency responders also dealt with a fire linked to the accident.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. The cause has not yet been determined.