4 killed in medical transport plane crash in northern Arizona, authorities say
The small, dual-propeller aircraft was heading to pick up a patient from a nearby hospital when it crashed at around 12:40 p.m. local time near the Chinle Municipal Airport, about 165 miles northeast of Flagstaff, according to the Navajo Police Department. Those on board were medical personnel who were "non-local," Navajo Nation Buu Nygren said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which identified the aircraft as a Beechcraft 300, said the plane crashed while landing at the airport. The Navajo Police Department's Chinle District, the tribe's emergency medical services, and fire and rescue services responded to the scene, according to police.
The crash involved CSI Aviation, an air transportation and air charter company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, police said. The company conducted next-of-kin notifications.
"These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation," Nygren said in the statement. "We honor their service, their sacrifice, and the love they showed our communities through their work. On behalf of the Navajo Nation, I extend my deepest condolences to their families, colleagues, and all who are grieving."
She 'was a real person': Mom of crash victim speaks out as FAA faces scrutiny
The cause of the crash is unknown, police said. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Authorities have closed all access to the airport due to the ongoing investigation. Chinle Airport, located in Apache County, is owned by the Navajo Nation, according to the Navajo Nation Division of Transportation.
Latest aviation incident in the U.S.
Arizona has seen a string of fatal crashes at municipal airports in and around the Phoenix Metropolitan area, including in Scottsdale and Marana.
In February, two private jets collided at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, killing one person and injuring four. More than a week later, two single-engine planes collided outside the Marana Regional Airport, killing two people.
The Aug. 5 crash is also the latest aviation incident to occur in the United States this year. Though experts have maintained that aviation remains extremely safe, recent incidents have raised concerns over air safety in the United States.
NTSB investigators are still probing two deadly crashes that occurred in late January: the midair collision of an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people; and a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that killed seven.
American Airlines flight evacuation: Airplane evacuation safety concerns resurface after incident
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Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Four dead after medical transport plane crashes on Navajo Nation in northern Arizona
A medical transport plane crashed and caught fire Tuesday afternoon on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, killing all four passengers, officials said. The crash occurred around 12:40pm, near the Chinle Municipal Airport, as the group was en route to pick up a patient. 'I am heartbroken to learn of the tragic plane crash near the Chinle Airport, which claimed the lives of four medical personnel who were non-local,' Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a statement on Facebook. 'These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation.' The cause of the crash is unknown. Police have not named the victims, though they were described in a statement as a 'non-local' group on an aircraft from CSI Aviation, based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company has notified their next of kin, the Navajo Police Department said. CSI Aviation, founded in 1979, conducts flights for medical transport and government clients, according to its website. The Independent has contacted the company for comment. Navajo police, fire, and EMS were on the scene of the crash. Pictures of the incident showed a small, charred plane wreck near a patch of asphalt. The aircraft that crashed was a Beechcraft 300 dual-propeller plane, the Associated Press reports. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating. The crash comes just over a week after three died in a private plane crash on the California coast.
USA Today
20 hours ago
- USA Today
4 killed in medical transport plane crash in northern Arizona, authorities say
PHOENIX — Four people were killed on Aug. 5 when a medical transport plane crashed and caught on fire while landing at an airport in the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, authorities said. The small, dual-propeller aircraft was heading to pick up a patient from a nearby hospital when it crashed at around 12:40 p.m. local time near the Chinle Municipal Airport, about 165 miles northeast of Flagstaff, according to the Navajo Police Department. Those on board were medical personnel who were "non-local," Navajo Nation Buu Nygren said in a statement. The Federal Aviation Administration, which identified the aircraft as a Beechcraft 300, said the plane crashed while landing at the airport. The Navajo Police Department's Chinle District, the tribe's emergency medical services, and fire and rescue services responded to the scene, according to police. The crash involved CSI Aviation, an air transportation and air charter company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, police said. The company conducted next-of-kin notifications. "These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation," Nygren said in the statement. "We honor their service, their sacrifice, and the love they showed our communities through their work. On behalf of the Navajo Nation, I extend my deepest condolences to their families, colleagues, and all who are grieving." She 'was a real person': Mom of crash victim speaks out as FAA faces scrutiny The cause of the crash is unknown, police said. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Authorities have closed all access to the airport due to the ongoing investigation. Chinle Airport, located in Apache County, is owned by the Navajo Nation, according to the Navajo Nation Division of Transportation. Latest aviation incident in the U.S. Arizona has seen a string of fatal crashes at municipal airports in and around the Phoenix Metropolitan area, including in Scottsdale and Marana. In February, two private jets collided at the Scottsdale Airport in Arizona, killing one person and injuring four. More than a week later, two single-engine planes collided outside the Marana Regional Airport, killing two people. The Aug. 5 crash is also the latest aviation incident to occur in the United States this year. Though experts have maintained that aviation remains extremely safe, recent incidents have raised concerns over air safety in the United States. NTSB investigators are still probing two deadly crashes that occurred in late January: the midair collision of an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people; and a medical jet crash in Philadelphia that killed seven. American Airlines flight evacuation: Airplane evacuation safety concerns resurface after incident
New York Post
21 hours ago
- New York Post
4 killed after medical transport plane crashes while heading to Arizona hospital to retrieve patient
Four people were killed in a plane crash near an Arizona airport after the medical transport aircraft en route to a nearby hospital went down in flames on Tuesday. The Beechcraft 300, a small dual-propeller medical transport plane, plummeted to the ground near the Chinle Airport around noon and was soon engulfed in flames, according to the Navajo Police Department. 3 The medical transport plane burst into flames after it crashed. Navajo Police Dept. Advertisement All four people on board were killed, cops confirmed. None of them were from the area. The plane was heading to a local hospital to pick up a patient when it crashed. It was operated by CSI Aviation, an air carrier specializing in medical flight services that has previously held contracts with the US Department of Defense and serviced high-ranking members of the United Nations. The Chinle Airport is just five miles away from a small federal healthcare facility that services Navajo Nation, a Native American reservation, though it's unclear if that is where the crew was heading. Advertisement 3 All four people aboard the plane were killed in the crash. Navajo Police Dept. 'These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation,' Buu Nygren, the Navajo Nation president, wrote in a statement. 'We honor their service, their sacrifice, and the love they showed our communities through their work. On behalf of the Navajo Nation, I extend my deepest condolences to their families, colleagues, and all who are grieving. Our prayers are with the families of those on the plane as investigations continue. May the Creator bring comfort and strength in the days ahead.' 3 None of the victims were locals. Navajo Police Dept. Advertisement The Navajo Nation is the largest American Indian reservation in the country and spans roughly 16 million acres — making it roughly the same size as West Virginia, according to the Indian Health Service. The National Traffic Safety Bureau and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash. The cause is still unknown. The Post reached out to CSI Aviation for comment.
