CHINLE, Ariz. (AP) — A medical transport plane crashed and caught fire Tuesday on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, killing four people, the tribe said in a statement.
The crash involving the CSI Aviation company from Albuquerque, New Mexico, occurred near the airport in Chinle, about 300 miles (483 kilometers) northeast of Phoenix. Those on board were medical personnel who were on their way to a hospital to pick up a patient.
The Beechcraft 300 crashed in the early afternoon while landing at the airport, Federal Aviation Administration officials said in an email.
“They were trying to land there and unfortunately something went wrong,” district Police Commander Emmett Yazzie said.
The flight departed from Albuquerque to pick up a patient who needed critical care from the federal Indian Health Service hospital in Chinle, said Sharen Sandoval, director of the Navajo Department of Emergency Management. She said the plan was to return to Albuquerque. The patient's condition wasn't known Tuesday evening.
Tribal authorities began receiving reports at 12:44 p.m. of black smoke at the airport, Sandoval said. The cause of the crash wasn't known, the tribe said. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said in a social media post that he was heartbroken to learn of the crash.
“These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation,” he said.
In January, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia, killing eight people. The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, has said the voice recorder on that plane was not working.
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