At least five dead, two hurt in New Mexico plane crash

SIERRA BLANCA, NEW MEXICO (BNO NEWS) — At least five people were killed and two others were seriously injured when a small plane carrying at least seven people crashed at an airport in south-central New Mexico on Thursday, federal officials said.

The crash happened just before 10 a.m. local time (12 p.m. EDT) at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, an airport located approximately 130 miles (209 kilometers) south of Albuquerque.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the crash involved a Cessna 310, which was carrying 7 people aboard. “Five [are] confirmed fatal,” Lunsford said.

A state police spokesman said two survivors were airlifted to a local hospital in a critical condition, and said rescue crews were searching through the wreckage to see if anyone else was on board.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are en-route to the crash site.

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