PLANE CRASH KILLS 4 ON NAVAJO NATION IN ARIZONA

A small medical transport plane crashed and caught fire on Tuesday on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, killing four people, the tribe said in a statement. The Beechcraft King Air 300, operated by CSI Aviation, was traveling from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the federal Indian Health Service hospital in Chinle, Arizona, where it was planning to pick up a patient in need of critical care.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration and CSI Aviation, the plane had two pilots and two healthcare providers on board. District Police Commander Emmett Yazzie said, “They were trying to land there and unfortunately something went wrong.” The cause of the crash is currently unknown.

Sharen Sandoval, director of the Navajo Department of Emergency Management, said the crew was planning to return to Albuquerque after picking up the patient. Tribal authorities began receiving reports of black smoke at the airport at 12:44 pm. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating the crash.

CSI Aviation officials confirmed the deaths in an emailed statement and extended condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of the people killed. “We are cooperating with the investigation,” the statement said. The names of the victims have not been released.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren expressed his heartbreak over the crash, saying, “These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation.” Medical transports by air are common on the Navajo Nation due to the limited medical facilities on the reservation. The Chinle airport is one of a handful of airports owned and operated by the tribe on its vast 27,000-square-mile reservation.