Small Medical Plane Crashes in Capitan Mountains, Killing All 4 People Aboard
Four people died Thursday morning in a medical plane crash near Ruidoso, authorities said, and a wildfire that ignited shortly after had grown to 35 acres by the afternoon.
Lincoln County officials said the aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air 90, was traveling from Roswell to the Sierra Blanca Regional Airport—roughly 15 miles from Ruidoso—for a medical transport and did not arrive as scheduled.
The plane crashed in the Capitan Mountains Wilderness area, and the cause remains under investigation. Authorities did not release the names of the four people who died Thursday, pending notification of their families.
Trans Aero MedEvac — an air medical transport company that serves southeastern New Mexico and western Texas — said in a statement that the four were part of the company.
“Our hearts are with the families, loved ones, friends, and co-workers of those lost in this tragedy,” Trans Aero MedEvac said. “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.”
Airport personnel and the Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services lost radar and communications contact between midnight and 1 a.m., according to Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns.
Around 4 a.m., the county received multiple reports of a fire in the Capitan Mountains Wilderness area.
The fire, dubbed the Seven Cabin Fire, had burned approximately 35 acres as of Thursday afternoon, according to wildfire information management system New Mexico Fire Information.
“I know it was reported around the same time as we had a missing airplane in the same location, but we cannot confirm that the airplane crash was the cause of the fire,” Burns said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were contacted, and New Mexico State Search and Rescue coordinated the search effort, the release states.
The safety of the public and responding personnel remains the county’s top priority, the release states.
“We ask the public to avoid the area and allow emergency responders to conduct operations safely and efficiently,” according to the county.
In August 2025, a Beechcraft King Air 300 medical plane crashed near the Chinle Municipal Airport in Arizona, killing four medical workers — including two from New Mexico.
Gregory R.C. Hasman covers the economy and healthcare for the Journal. He can be reached at [email protected]. Nakayla McClelland covers crime and breaking news. Reach her at [email protected] or at 505-823-3857.
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