14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 23, 2014 in Silver City, NM
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/17/2015
Aircraft: RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY G36, registration: N536G
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The airplane was returning from a local flight and the pilot flew a tight downwind leg for landing on runway 35, possibly due to a direct crosswind in excess of 20 knots. During the base turn, the airplane overshot the final course, and the pilot used at least 60 degrees of bank to correct the airplane back on course and over the runway. The airplane then bounced and touched down at least 20 knots above the manufacturer’s published approach speed with about 1,810 ft remaining on the runway. The airplane’s airspeed began to rapidly decrease, but then several seconds later, the airplane’s airspeed increased as the pilot rejected the landing. The airplane did not gain significant altitude or airspeed then began a slight right turn. The airplane’s roll rate then sharply increased, and the airplane quickly descended, consistent with a stall, before colliding with a transmission wire and terrain. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Strong, variable, gusty wind, with an environment conductive to the formation of dry microbursts, was present at the airport at the time of the accident. Several lightning strikes were recorded in the vicinity of the accident site around the time of the accident. It is unknown if the presence of lightning or wind impacted the pilot’s inflight decision-making in the pattern, on approach, or during the attempted go-around. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with an in-flight encounter with a strong tailwind and/or windshear during climbout after the rejected landing.
An autopsy conducted on the pilot identified significant stenosis of a distal coronary artery without any other evidence of cardiac distress; however, if there was an associated medical event, the condition would likely result in sudden incapacitation, which is not consistent with the airplane’s coordinated flight profile.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The airplane’s encounter with a strong tailwind and/or windshear, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s continuation of the unstable approach, long landing, and delayed decision to conduct a go-around.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT
On May 23, 2014, at 1553 mountain daylight time, a Raytheon G36 airplane, N536G, impacted terrain near Silver City, New Mexico. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Rural Health Outreach Inc. and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Whiskey Creek Airport (94E), Silver City, New Mexico, at 1536.
Several witnesses at 94E saw the airplane just prior to the accident. One witness at 94E saw the airplane in the pattern for runway 35. He noted that the airplane's position on downwind was "tight" in relation to the airport. The airplane began a "very tight base leg that was at least a 60 degree bank." The witness described the winds as gusty, around 25-30 knots, as would be associated with the passage of a thunderstorm. The airplane tightened the base to final turn and overshot the final approach leg. The witness estimated that the airplane's first touchdown occurred near mid-field, where it bounced and then settled to the runway. Shortly thereafter, the engine sounded as if the pilot had applied full engine power. The airplane was seen travelling down the runway and then took off. The airplane's landing gear and flaps appeared to both be down. The airplane began gaining altitude and started a slight right turn. The witness said that the airplane stalled and descended out of sight.
Another witness observed the airplane in a "tight left downwind approach for runway 35 at about 600-800" feet above ground level. The airplane's groundspeed increased in the base turn and the airplane flew through the runway's extended centerline. The airplane used at least 60 degrees of bank to correct back towards the runway's centerline. The airplane landed and then attempted to go around. The airplane went off the end of the runway at a high angle of attack, descended slightly into the valley, and then began to gain altitude. The airplane started a 15° bank turn to the east, began to descend, and the airplane's angle of attack got "steeper" as the airplane descended out of sight.
A witness near the accident site saw the airplane "gradually roll to the right, and then "sharply pitch" to the right where it impacted the ground."
The airplane impacted desert terrain near several trailer homes. A post impact fire ensued and consumed a majority of the airplane.
PERSONNEL INFORMATION
The pilot, age 67, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot flew his airplane frequently to treat patients at remote medical clinics. A review of the pilot's log book found that the last completed page ended on March 14, 2014. As of that date, the pilot logged a total of 3,547.7 hours. The preceding log book entries indicated that the pilot flew on average 15 hours per month, so the pilot's total flight time was about 3,600 hours prior to the accident. The pilot's flight review, which included an instrument proficiency check, was completed on December 16, 2012, in the accident airplane. On January 29, 2014, the pilot was issued a second class medical certificate with the restrictions that the pilot must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. The medical examination also noted mild cataracts and his retina showed no holes, tears, or retinal detachment.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The single engine, low wing, six-seat, retractable gear airplane, serial number E-3707, was manufactured in 2006. It was powered by a single 300-horsepower Continental Motors IO-550-B engine, serial number 675766, that drove a metal Hartzell three bladed, variable pitch propeller. The airplane's last inspection was an annual type accomplished on June 6, 2013, at an airframe total time of 1,105.8 hours. On October 3, 2013, the engine was overhauled and modified by a supplemental type certificate. The overhauled engine was installed in the airplane on November 1, 2013 at a total airframe time of 1,156.1 hours. The most recent hour meter recorded in the logbooks was for maintenance performed on April 8, 2014, at a total airframe time of 1,229.4 hours.
METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION
At 1555, an automated weather reporting station located at the Grant Country Airport (KSVC), located about 8.75 nautical miles southeast of the accident site reported wind from 270 degrees at 21 knots gusting to 28 knots, visibility 10 miles, ceiling broken at 10,000 feet, temperature 70 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 34 degrees F, and a barometric pressure of 30.04 inches of mercury.
A weather study was conducted for the accident area. Atmosphere data retrieved from a weather balloon launch at 1800 from Santa Teresa, New Mexico, identified an environment conducive to "dry microbursts." This area had a potential for severe weather gusts of 68 knots and microburst gust potential of 50 knots. Weather radar data identified patterns consistent with developing and decaying convective activity in the vicinity of the accident site near the time of the accident. Some storm cell decay occurred south of the accident location with 10-15 minutes prior to the accident. In addition, from 1539-1555, several lightning strikes were detected within 10 miles of the accident site.
AIRPORT INFORMATION
The Whiskey Creek Airport (94E) is a public airport located at measured altitude of 6,126 feet mean sea level. It has one runway 17/35, 5,400 feet by 50 feet, of asphalt construction in good condition.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION
The airplane impacted desert terrain near several trailer homes, about 0.8 miles northeast of runway 35's departure end. The airplane's first impact point was a transmission wire located west of the accident site about 25 feet above the ground. Forty feet east of the transmission wire was a ground crater which contained the airplane's propeller. The debris path was roughly cone shaped, was aligned on a 77° magnetic heading, and was about 140 feet long and 70 feet at its widest area. A postimpact fire ensued which consumed a majority of the airplane. The main wreckage contained remnants of the cabin, fuselage, wings, and empennage. The wreckage came to rest facing a 228° heading.
Both ailerons were partially consumed by the postimpact fire and remnants remained attached to their respective wing. The left aileron trim actuator extension was measured and found to be about 1.75 inches, which corresponded to about 7° trim tab trailing edge down. Aileron control continuity was established from the flight controls to each wing bell crank. Aileron trim control cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the aileron trim actuator. The flaps actuator indicated the flaps were up. The left and right elevator flight control surfaces were partially consumed by the postimpact fire. Remnants of the elevators remained attached to their respective horizontal stabilizer. The left and right elevator trim actuator extensions were measured and found to be 1.625 inches, which corresponded between 10-15° trim tab trailing edge down, airplane nose up. Elevator control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the elevator surfaces. The elevator trim control cables were confirmed from the cockpit to the trim actuators. The rudder was partially consumed by the postimpact fire and remnants remained attached to the vertical stabilizer. Rudder control continuity was established from the cockpit to the rudder bell crank. The gear handle was found in the down position. The fuel selector was found selecting the right main tank. No preimpact anomalies were detected with the airframe.
The engine was impacted damaged and found separated from the airframe. Both magnetos were actuated by hand and found to produce a spark at each terminal. The fuel manifold valve screen was clear of debris and all fuel nozzles were found clear of blockages. The throttle body and fuel metering unit's fuel screen contained a small amount of fibrous material but was largely unobstructed. The crankshaft was able to be turned by hand with continuity established throughout the engine. Cylinder thumb compression and suction was confirmed to each cylinder. A borescope inspection of each cylinder found normal operation and combustion signatures. No preimpact anomalies were detected with the engine.
The propeller blades were labelled "A", "B", and "C" for documentation purposes only. All three blades displayed signatures of chordwise scratches, leading edge nicks and gouges, and blade polishing. Blade B was curled near the tip and the tip of the blade was found separated. Blade C displayed S-bending along its entire length.
A Garmin Oregon 450t hand held GPS was found in the debris field and was sent to the NTSB laboratories for a data download.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was authorized and conducted on the pilot by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. The cause of death was the result of multiple blunt trauma and the manner of death was ruled an accident. The autopsy identified 80% stenosis of the distal third left anterior descending coronary artery. All other arteries were free of stenosis.
Forensic toxicology was performed on specimens from the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Testing detected the presence of oxymetazonline which is a decongestant used in the treatment of nasal congestion.
TESTS AND RESEARCH
Pilot Operating Handbook
Beechcraft's Model G36 Bonanza Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), revised July 2014, listed the maximum demonstrated crosswind limit as 17 knots.
The Normal Procedures section lists the balked landing checklist:
1. Throttle and Propeller … Full Forward
2. Airspeed …80 KTS (until clear of obstacles, then trim to 110 KTS)
3. Flaps … UP
4. Landing Gear … RETRACT
5. Cowl Flaps … OPEN
Published landing performance data for the airplane is predicated on a threshold speed between 78-81 knots depending on the airplane's weight. Published performance data does not exist for landings in excess of the published approach speeds or in excess of 10 knots of tailwind. Using a gross weight of 3,400 pounds, a direct crosswind of 20 knots, 70° F, and an approach speed of 80 knots, engineers from Textron Aviation estimated the required landing distance at 1,720 feet.
The POH provided a chart of stall speeds with idle power. The chart was run for the airplane's final configuration of flaps up and airplane gross weights between 2,800-3,600 pounds. The stall speed at 30° of bank would be between 66-72 knots.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Garmin Oregon 450t
The Garmin Oregon 450t is a battery operated hand-portable GPS receiver with a 12 channel wide area augmentation system (WAAS). The unit contains an electronic compass and a barometric pressure sensor for recording pressure-based altitude information. Published GPS position location accuracy is less than 33 feet horizontal under normal conditions, and 10-16 feet with differential global positioning system (DGPS) active. Although the device was thermally damaged, the airplane's last flight track was extracted. For the accident flight, the device was powered on at 1401 and recorded the airplane's takeoff time of 1536 as the flight departed on runway 17. The airplane turned to the north and flew about 13 miles north in an area between Black Peak and New Mexico Highway 15. The airplane then returned back to 94E and entered a left base turn for runway 35. Starting at 1551, the GPS update rate began to vary and there were two episodes of where the GPS receiver momentarily lost satellite lock and continued to record position information based on projected data. About 1552:15, as the airplane turned left towards the runway, the receiver lost satellite lock and the airplane's position returned at 1552:42 as the airplane was over the runway. At that time, the airplane was about 770 feet down the runway and 175 feet above ground level. At 1552:53, the airplane touched down with a groundspeed of 120 knots, skipped, and touched down 3 seconds later at 100 knots groundspeed with about 1,810 feet remaining on the runway. The airplane slowed to 87 knots and with 1,060 feet remaining on the runway the airplane's groundspeed began to increase. The airplane lifted off from the runway, flew to the north, and began a slight climb. At 1553:12, the airplane began to turn right at a rate of about 3-4° per second. About 1553:26, the receiver again lost satellite lock and regained the airplane's position about 30 seconds later at the accident site. The final portion of the accident sequence was not captured by the device.
iPhone
An Apple iPhone was located in the airplane's wreckage and shipped to the NTSB laboratories for download. Data extracted from the iPhone showed that none of the video files were date/time stamped on the day of the accident. Thirty eight of the image files were date/time stamped on the day of the accident. Most of these files depicted persons and aircraft on the ground. Ten of these files corresponded with previews or full resolution images of the view off the right wing from inside an aircraft in-flight. The file containing the most recent image was taken at 15:46:35 MDT. There was no data which could aid in reconstructing in accident sequence.
Secure Digital (SD) Card
An SD card was found in a thermally damaged camera in the airplane's wreckage. The SD card was extracted from the camera and shipped to the NTSB laboratories for download. Data extracted from the SD card found that two of the video files were date/time stamped on the day of the accident. Twenty of the image files were date/time stamped on the day of the accident. All of the image files corresponded with external views of an airplane on the ground or in-flight views looking forward or off the right wing. The most recent image was time stamped 1546 MDT. The two video files depicted in-flight views looking forward or off the right wing from an airplane in level flight. There was no data which could aid in reconstructing in accident sequence.
http://registry.faa.gov/N536G
NTSB Identification: CEN14FA249
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, May 23, 2014 in Silver City, NM
Aircraft: RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY G36, registration: N536G
Injuries: 4 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On May 23, 2014, about 1555 mountain daylight time, a Raytheon G36 airplane, N536G, impacted terrain near Silver City, New Mexico. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Rural Health Outreach Inc. and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from the Whiskey Creek Airport (94E), Silver City, New Mexico, about 1530.
Several witnesses at 94E saw the airplane just prior to the accident. They stated that the airplane landed at least 3,000 feet down the 5,400-foot long runway. The airplane's engine was heard going to idle before power was reapplied to the engine. The airplane lifted off and departed the runway to the north. The airplane was observed starting a slight climb before it entered a right turn and then descended towards the ground.
The airplane impacted desert terrain near several trailer homes. A post impact fire ensued and consumed a majority of the airplane. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
At 1555, an automated weather reporting station located at the Grant Country Airport (KSVC), located about 8.75 nautical miles southwest of the accident site reported wind from 270 degrees at 21 knots gusting to 28 knots, visibility 10 miles, ceiling broken at 10,000 feet, temperature 70 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 34 degrees F, and a barometric pressure of 30.04 inches of mercury.
FAA Reno FSDO-11
The three teens killed in May 23 plane crash in Arenas Valley.
A
memorial was held Sunday at WNMU.
Left-to-right: Michael Mahl, 16, Ella
Kirk, 14, and Ella Myers, 16.
SILVER CITY >> A celebration of life was the theme for Sunday afternoon's memorial service for the three Aldo Leopold Charter School students who died in a plane crash May 23 at the Whiskey Creek Airport.
A capacity crowd filled the Fine Arts Theater on the campus of Western New Mexico University to honor the lives of sophomores Ella Sala Myers, Michael Sebastian Mahl and Ella Jaz Kirk. A wide range of media was also in attendance.
Among the attendees was Herman Baca and his family. He stated that he used to care for Ella Myers when she was younger.
"I used to work for an after-school program, and I took care of Ella," Baca said. "I got to know her very well, and she was a kind and natural spirited girl who had a good heart. She will be missed."
Jodie Knight, who is the wife of Aldo Leopold teacher Scott Knight, said there has been days of grieving workshops and she is astonished by the way people have come together in the aftermath of the tragedy.
"I am amazed on how the community has gone so far in helping out this tragic situation," Knight said. "It's awesome to see this entire community and the way it has come together for something like this."
Brandon Perrault, a Silver City musician, started off the vigil by performing "Hallelujah," while pictures of all three students were displayed on a screen. Josh Reeves then spoke a little bit about how all three students came together.
"All three of their lives overlapped one another," Reeves, a recent graduate of Aldo Leopold, said. "All three were very special artists and were on the right track to change the world together."
Reeves stated that Kirk was the aquatics expert in the Youth Conservation Corps Ecological Monitoring Crew that won first place in the New Mexico Envirothon competition this year. Mahl was the soil expert and Myers was the forestry expert.
Myers was remembered in a song that performed by local musician Maddy Alfero. Raven Myers shared memories of her sister, and father Brian Myers said some strong words in remembrance.
"She was a remarkable, gifted, talented artist," Brian Myers said. "She had poise, grace and elegance."
After the audience saw a video of Mahl performing "Let Her Go" on his guitar, father John Mahl spoke about his son and family.
"I want to thank everyone for the tremendous support my family has received during this time," he said. "It's been simply overwhelming."
Mahl also stated that his son's nickname was "Gunka," and that he loved video games, including a passion for "The Legend of Zelda." But, his biggest love was for that of Jesus Christ, his father said, and he wasn't afraid of the gospel.
Kirk's mother, Patrice Mutchnick, spoke kind words of her daughter and told of how they moved to Silver City.
"She was my light, and My love," Mutchnick said. "She loved the snow, and she also loved the water. Her thing was being the first one in the Gila River (March), and the last one (November). She thought every choice she made affected others, and that's the kind of caring individual she was."
Aldo teacher Jim McIntosh wrapped the vigil by taking a moment of silence for the pilot, Dr. Peter Hochla, who was the fourth person to die in the plane crash. He also said all three students who died were gifted musicians.
"Michael had a little bit of Elvis in him," McIntosh said. "Ella Jaz was polite and razor sharp. Ella Myers wanted to know what she was made of and proved that when she rode the 31-mile Tour of the Gila with a borrowed bike with me."
The vigil ended with a poem titled, "To Understand the Wind," by McIntosh.
http://www.scsun-news.com
Obituary
Michael Sebastian Mahl got to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday afternoon, May 23, 2014 after a tragic plane crash that took the lives of 3 other souls. He was 16 years old. Michael, a.k.a "Gunka", loved Jesus, was an accomplished musician, an exceptional student, and an awesome person. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Quick wit, often inappropriate or irreverent but we would all laugh anyway. He played guitar, drums, ukulele, mandolin, even the didgeridoo. He was a straight A student at Aldo Leopold Charter School and was about to enter into his Junior year as student class president. He loved video games, especially The Legend of Zelda, and had collected every single Zelda game made from the '80's to present and had beaten all of them. If we were to take the time it took to list his incredible accomplishments that he was able to perform by the young age of 16, it would fill up this entire newspaper! To get an idea of the kind of person he was, here is his birthday post from April 28th that he put on Facebook: "Had a great birthday! I'm so thankful for everyone in my life and there is not a single thing or person that I try to take for granted. Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. It's been the greatest 16 years I could ask for, I have treasured the good moments, embraced the love, and cherished a life well lived. I look forward to the future, but I'll always admire my childhood :) " We had the pleasure of raising this wonderful person for 16 years, and the only day of grief he ever gave us was last Friday afternoon. He is preceded in death by his grandmother Mary Boucher. He is survived by his parents, John and Jennifer Mahl, his brothers, Alexander Wolfgang Mahl, Daniel Joseph Mahl, his grandparents John and Cydnia Mahl, Paul and Linda Boucher, his great grandmother Shirley Easley, his aunts and uncles Tina and Jay Mealer, Shawna and Kenny White, Phil Payette, his cousins, Conner Payette, Matthew Pelkey, Emery White, Aspen Mealer. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Ella, Michael, Ella Family Fund at YouCaring.com or the same fund that has been set up at the Silver City Branch of Western Bank. Entrusted to the care of Baca's Funeral Chapels.Exclusive provider for "Veterans &Family Memorial Care". To sign the online guest book or to send a card, please visit our website at www.bacasfuneralchapels.com. Hwy 180 East on Delk Dr., Silver City, NM 88062 – 575-388-2334
- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries
Ella Jaz Kirk
Life Legacy
Ella Jaz Kirk, 14, who loved flowers, butterflies, music, and wild places, died on Friday, May 23rd. Ella was born fourteen years ago in the mountains of New Hampshire on August 15, 1999. She has lived the last decade in her homes in Silver City and Gila Hot Springs, New Mexico. Her family, including her mother, Patrice Mutchnick , her grandmother Sandra Mutchnick, her aunts Eve and Ilene Mutchnick, as well as all her friends, grieve her passing. All are welcome to come celebrate Ella’s life on Sunday, June 1st at 2:00 at the WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater. To honor Ella’s passion for the Gila River, please visit the webpage at www.gilaconservation.org where a fund has been established in her name. Arrangements are with Terrazas Funeral Chapels and Crematory “Trusted care for the ones you love” ~ (575)537-0777. To send condolences, visit www.terrazasfuneralchapel.com.
HOCHLA, PETER K. 33 year Albuquerque resident Dr. Peter K. Hochla, Col, USAF, retired, died on May 23, 2014 doing what he loved most: flying.
Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, he immigrated to the U.S. as a child. He attended Oklahoma City University, and the University of Oklahoma Medical School. During his psychiatric residency at OU he met his wife of 35 years, fellow psychiatrist Dr. Cheryl Greene Hochla. Relocating to Albuquerque with his family in 1981, Dr. Hochla was a psychiatrist at the Albuquerque Veteran's Hospital until his "retirement" in 2008. He served with the NM Air National Guard at Kirtland AFB for 21 years, including as State Air Surgeon of NM. After retiring from the Guard, he continued to serve in the USAF Reserves at Luke AFB in Phoenix, AZ. In 1991 he earned an MBA at UNM. Despite his retirement, Dr. Hochla continued to see patients all over NM, flying in his small airplane to VA clinics in Artesia, Farmington, Gallup, Raton, and Silver City. He also saw patients at the NM state prisons. For over 10 years he flew to clinics 3-5 days a week. He is survived by his wife Cheryl; daughter Laura; son Tyler; grandson Sebastian; granddaughter Fiona; sister Inez; & brother Victor. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association. A private, family memorial will be held at a later date.
http://obits.abqjournal.com
How Grant County is coping in the wake of the plane crash
Organizations are finding ways to remember the teenage victims
SILVER CITY >> While Grant County residents still reel from the grief due to the loss of the three teens in last Friday afternoon's plane crash in Arenas Valley, organizations are finding ways to help the community cope.
Gila Regional Medical Center is hosting a car wash to benefit the families of the teenage victims from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at Western New Mexico University's Watts Hall on Hwy. 180 E. The funds raised from the car wash will go toward the fund Aldo Leopold Charter school officials have established to try to help the families offset the funeral costs. That fund can be found online at Youcaring.com/memorial-fundraiser/ella-michael-ella-familyfund/183199 or donations can also be made at the Silver City branch of Western Bank at 330 U.S. Hwy. 180 E.
Melinda Shaner, owner and artistic director of the Conservancy of Dance, said her group is moving forward with their already scheduled performance of "The Little Mermaid," Friday night at the Fine Arts Center Theater at Western New Mexico University. According to Shaner, the show will start at 6:30 p.m. and it will be dedicated to Ella Kirk, who performed in the previous ballet, "The Nutcracker," in January. Shaner said that although Kirk had stepped back from performing in the ballet group this spring so she could focus on her political activities to stop a Gila River diversion project, Kirk was a regular member of the dance troupe in the past.
Kirk presented a petition containing 2,200 signatures to the Interstate Stream Commission in October 2013 asking them to halt a potential Gila River diversion project. Kirk then began an online petition that she delivered to Governor Susana Martinez's office in February of this year, asking the governor to stop the potential Gila River diversion. That petition contained 6,470 names from around the globe.
Aldo Leopold Charter School is hosting a memorial for the three teenagers, Ella Kirk, Michael Mahl, and Ella Myers at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Fine Arts Center Theater at WNMU. All three teens attended Aldo Leopold and had just finished up their sophomore year.
Gila Conservation Coalition is honoring the memory of the three teens in a variety of ways. GCC has established a fund in Kirk's name. The money raised through the fund will be used to protect the Gila River, according to GCC's website.
GCC is also in the process of rethinking its plans for the fourth annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival at 6:30 p.m. on June 7 at the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House in Pinos Altos. Kirk was supposed to play a song on her fiddle at the event.
Allyson Siwik, executive director of GCC, said she asked Kirk's mother, Patrice Mutchnick, if they should cancel the film festival, but Mutchnick said the event should go on. So the GCC is working on creating a way to remember all three of the teens during the festival. The details of that have not yet been worked out.
But Siwik did say that the song Kirk was planning to perform, "Gila Glide," will still be a part of the program. The band, The Big Ditch Crickets, will perform it. The GCC will also be selling a CD and DVD compilation at the event. The proceeds from the sale of the compilation will go toward their efforts to protect the Gila River. Kirk's fiddle performance will be on the CD.
Source: http://www.scsun-news.com
Courtesy photo
Dancers from the Conservancy of Dance in preparation for their performance of "The Little Mermaid," Friday night. The performance will be dedicated to former Conservancy of Dance performer Ella Kirk.
The three Aldo Leopold students who died in the plane crash Friday in Arenas Valley were eco-monitors for the school and posed for a photo together at Aldo Leopold's prom last month. From left to right: Ella Kirk, Michael Mahl and Ella Myers.
Ella Jaz Kirk
Authorities have not yet released the name of the pilot of the plane, but the small air plane was owned by Dr. Peter Hochla, an Albuquerque-based psychiatrist. No one else was hurt or killed. According to an eye witness, A. Gene Sharp-Torres, who lives in the mobile home park, the plane was flying upside down at a tilt and headed directly for the mobile homes when it turned at the last minute and crashed in the empty field. According to New Mexico State Police, the plane severed two wires as it went down. The plane exploded as soon as it crashed. The survivors from the mobile home park, who rushed out to try to save the victims from the crash and put out the fire that spread due to the accident, believe the pilot was responsible for turning the plane at the last minute.
"We pray for the children and for the pilot, who was apparently trying to avoid us," one resident of the mobile home park, Steve Thompson, said. "We thank him for that."
About 40 to 50 fire fighters and law enforcement responded to the crash at approximately 4 p.m. Friday, according to New Mexico State Police. The fire from the crash was quickly contained and put out. No structures burned.
According to school officials, all three of the teenagers were eco-monitors for the school, but they were not on a specific school assignment. The three teens took the trip on the plane to view the devastation from the Signal Fire, which burned 5,484 acres. On the day of the crash, forest officials announced that the fire was 100 percent contained.
Since the accident occurred, Aldo Leopold Charter School administrators have been reportedly working to help the families, teachers and students devastated by the tragedy. School officials report grief counselors were on-call Saturday to help the Aldo Leopold community process their grief. A special grief counseling session was held for the Aldo Leopold community Sunday evening.
A fund has been established to help support the families of the teenage victims with financial needs. A donation can be made to the Aldo Leopold Student Fund at the Silver City Branch of Western Bank, at 330 U.S. Highway 180 Silver City, NM 88061.
School officials say that a community-wide memorial for the victims of the crash will be held soon. School officials will announce those details as soon as they are able.
According to a news release provided by Aldo Leopold School officials, Ella Jaz Kirk had just completed her sophomore year at Aldo Leopold Charter School. She was the aquatics expert on the Youth Conservation Corps Ecological Monitoring Crew, which won first place at the New Mexico EnviroThon Competition earlier this year. As part of her YCC duties, Ella taught elementary school kids about ecology, conservation, watershed health, presented at the Children's Gila River Festival, and instructed ALCS staff and students on orientation prior to all of the school's backpacking trips. This year, Ella wrote for the ALCS newsletter; she was in line to be next year's editor and chief. She was an honor roll student each semester she attended ALCS and was a sixth grade teacher's aide. Ella played fiddle with a local group called Fiddle Club and composed many songs, some of which were entered into competitions. When Ella was in seventh grade, she went on the first tropical ecology trip to Costa Rica that was hosted by the school, and this year she was saving up to return with her fellow classmates. Ella's main passion was saving the Gila River. She delivered a petition with 6,400 signatures from around the world, to Governor Susana Martinez to stop the diversion.
http://www.scsun-news.com
Ella Sala Myers and Michael Sebastian Mahl
A plane crashed into a field to the west of the Vans Mobile Home Park in Arenas Valley on Friday. All four people in the single-engine plane died, including three students at Aldo Leopold Charter School in Silver City, according to school officials. According to witness accounts, the plane exploded as soon as it hit the ground.
SILVER CITY >> Aldo Leopold
Charter School officials have released the names of two of the victims
of Friday's plane crash in Arenas Valley, approximately 14 miles from
Silver City. Ella Sala Myers, 16, and Michael Sebastian Mahl, 16, were
two of the teenagers who died in the crash.
The single-engine plane went down at approximately 4 p.m. Friday, according to New Mexico State Police. The plane, owned by Dr. Peter Hochla, an Albuquerque-based psychiatrist, overshot the Whiskey Creek Airport, severed two cables and crashed in a field immediately west of Vans Mobile Home Park off of Racetrack Road. About 40 to 50 fire fighters and law enforcement responded to the crash.
According to a news release from the school, Ella Sala Myers had just completed her sophomore year at Aldo Leopold Charter School. She was the forestry expert on the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Ecological Monitoring Crew which won first place at the New Mexico EnviroThon Competition earlier this year. As part of her YCC duties, Ella taught elementary school kids about ecology, conservation, watershed health, presented at the Children's Gila River Festival, and instructed ALCS staff and students on orientating prior to the all school backpacking trips. Ella had recently been awarded a merit scholarship and was planning to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's accredited Summer Arts Program studying film and video. She was recently honored by Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at the Warehouse 508 in Albuquerque with gold and silver keys for her photography and video. Two of her novels went on to the national level and both were awarded gold keys. She was in the top 25 high school kids in the country awarded this honor.
Ella's main love was her horse Gracie, according to the news release. Gracie is a big Dutch warm blood that Ella rode jumpers with. Ella was a talented equestrian and, as she put it, "Gracie is my best friend." She was devoted to her horse and rode her six days a week.
Ella was an honor roll student all of the semesters she attended ALCS, planned to be deputy editor of the ALCS Newsletter and was saving up for the tropical ecology trip to Costa Rica. Ella was an avid writer, musician, and artist. She wrote many novels, one of which won an honorable mention in a National Youth Literature Contest, she played and composed on a violin, and has art in various community spaces. Ella was very athletic, she was a part of the Silver High Lady Colts track team and won first place in her age category for the 31 mile Citizens Tour of the Gila Bike race.
According to school officials in a news release, Michael Sebastian Mahl had just completed his sophomore year at Aldo Leopold Charter School. He attended Agape Christian Academy prior to attending ALCS. Michael was vice president of the Student Council and was just elected student body president for next year. He was the soil expert on the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Ecological Monitoring Crew which won first place at the New Mexico EnviroThon Competition this year. As part of his YCC duties, Michael taught elementary school kids about ecology, conservation, watershed health, presented at the Children's Gila River Festival, and instructed ALCS staff and students on orientating prior to the all school backpacking trips. Michael played guitar, drums and sang. He had a passion for music and arts. Michael was on the honor roll every semester since his freshman year. This year he compiled the yearbook and was an integral part of the ALCS Newsletter. Michael worked at his father's business, J&J Signs and was raising money for the school's Tropical Ecology research field trip to Costa Rica.
SILVER CITY >> Three of the four dead in Friday's plane crash in Arenas Valley, just outside of Silver City, were students at Aldo Leopold Charter School, school officials have confirmed.
The crash happened just before 4 p.m., when the single-engine plane overshot the Whiskey Creek Airport and crashed into a field behind Vans Mobile Home Park off Race Track Road.
All four occupants of the plane belonging to Albuquerque psychiatrist Dr. Peter Hochla died. Police have not released the names of the victims.
Aldo Leopold school officials met with students and parents at the Grant County Administration building at about 6 p.m. Friday and reportedly told attendees the names of the victims. School officials have asked that the media respect parents', teachers' and students' need for privacy.
Aldo Leopold Charter School is relatively small. The 2014 graduating class was made up of 16 students.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, although NMSP have confirmed the plane clipped two wires on its way down.
Richard Medina said he saw the plane flying at an altitude of about 200 feet and said he saw it attempt to land at Whiskey Creek Aiport.
"I heard the airplane flying over and it didn't sound right," Medina said.
A resident of the Vans Mobile Home Park, A. Gene Sharpe-Torres, witnessed the crash.
She said she looked out of her window, saw the plane coming straight toward her and thought, "I could be dead in the next moment."
She said the plane was upside down and tilted sideways before it veered to the right, then burst into flames as it crashed into a neighboring grass field.
Sharpe-Torres said residents of the mobile home park rushed to the crash site with shovels, axes and hoses to try to contain the blaze. Sharpe-Torres said her neighbor, Allena Thompson, rushed out in flip-flops with a pickaxe.
"She was way out there, banging out the flames," Sharpe-Torres said.
Thompson said she heard the crash and looked out the window of her mobile home and saw what she described as a big ball of fire.
"As we fought the fire, the plane exploded twice," she said.
About 40 to 50 law enforcement and fire-fighting personnel responded to the crash site and ordered residents of the mobile home park to evacuate to a nearby church.
Eugene Muñoz said he drove past the police blockade at the turnoff for Race Track Road because he was determined to find his mother, Susan Renova, who needed assistance getting out of her mobile home. Muñoz said he found Renova in the church across the street and that an emergency medical technician had helped Renova reach safety.
Muñoz said the heat from the flames of the fire melted the tarp on the back end of his horse trailer. The fire from the blaze also burned the skirt of another trailer.
"It was really peaceful here until yesterday," Muñoz said. "Then it became a nightmare."
For Thompson, the nightmare continued after the plane crash. She evacuated to her mother's house two miles away, while her husband Steve Thompson stayed in their trailer.
Allena said she didn't know the whereabouts of her daughter, an Aldo Leopold student, and after about an hour of waiting, she started to panic. Allena's daughter was not in the plane.
When Allena tried to re-enter the mobile home park, she was arrested by a Grant County sheriff's deputy and said she was cited for resisting arrest and fleeing an officer.
"He didn't understand my state of mind," Allena said.
The residents of the mobile home park were allowed to return to their homes at about 8:30 p.m. Friday night and law enforcement remained at the crash site through the night.
Someone who would not give his name said Whiskey Creek Airport is a private airport and that the airport had no comment regarding the crash.
The Office of the Medical Investigator, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Traffic and Safety Bureau are investigating the crash site.
Story, photos, video: http://www.scsun-news.com
More than 100 members of the Aldo Leopold Charter School community came together Friday evening at the Grant County Administration Center to console one another and to remember three of their classmates who were killed Friday afternoon in an airplane crash in Arenas Valley.
“This is a beautiful expression of what this school is all about,” said Dave Chandler, Aldo Leopold Charter School director of development. “Parents, students, staff, coming together on a moment’s notice to support one another.”
The three students, whose names have not been released, were lost after a single-engine, fixed-wing airplane crashed just south of Van’s Trailer Park, 28 Racetrack Road, in Arenas Valley shortly after takeoff from Whiskey Creek Airport. Residents of the trailer park were evacuated, but no one on the ground was hurt, according to New Mexico State Police Lt. Robert McDonald.
“I can confirm that three of our students were killed in a plane crash this afternoon,” Chandler said. “Right now, we’re focused on supporting our students and staff, and more information will be released as it’s appropriate.”
The pilot of the aircraft, also killed in the crash, had volunteered to fly the students over the area burned by last week’s Signal Fire in the Gila National Forest north of Silver City. The high school students had been involved in a forest monitoring project in the area prior to the fire. The flight was not sponsored by the school.
Johnny Cuellar of Vanadium, owner of J&J Stucco, was working with two of his employees on a job across Racetrack Road from the trailer park, and he estimated that the plane crashed about 400 feet away from them.
“We felt the boom, we felt the heat,” Cuellar told the Daily Press Friday evening.
According to Cuellar’s crew, the airplane was flying low as it cleared the ridge headed northeast, and just before it crashed, the plane banked sharply, making a nearly-180 degree turn before hitting the ground.
“The plane was sputtering, and it just went straight down,” said Robert Huerta of Silver City, who was the only member of Cuellar’s crew to witness the crash itself. “It fell in a vacant lot right south of the trailers… (the fire) must have shot up 200, 300 feet in the air.”
“We heard the crash, so we ran around to the front, and there was all flame and smoke,” said Daniel Hernandez of Silver City, the third member of the stucco crew. “We ran over and crossed through a barbed wire fence, and the plane (wreckage) was just right there.”
Cuellar and his crew stayed and attempted to keep the grass fire caused by the crash under control until fire crews arrived about five minutes later.
An investigator from the Albuquerque office of the Federal Aviation Administration has been called and is scheduled to arrive at the crash site Saturday morning.
According to Grant County Sheriff Raul Villanueva, officers from his department and the New Mexico State Police will hold the scene Friday night and Saturday morning for the FAA investigator.
Meanwhile, the community continues to pull together in an effort to make sense of the loss. Cuellar and his stucco crew plan to return to their Racetrack Road job on Monday, but he expects that the job will feel different after today.
“It’s going to be a different way of seeing everything,” Cuellar said.
Across the street from the scene, just over an hour after the fateful crash, the community began to gather.
Car after car — parents, teachers, friends — stumbled or hurried out of vehicles to grieve or comfort the tragic loss of young life.
Grant County Sheriff’s Department and New Mexico State Police, quick to the scene, blocked all but directly involved parties. Loved ones were allowed close to the scene, near the trailer park, early so that they were given the most up-to-date information.
Across Racetrack Road, loved ones gathered in small circles or blanketed the shoulders of those already there. Most cried, all shared and some wailed over the loss of some of Silver City’s best and brightest.
In a school community whose students number under 150, the loss of three is bound to make a resounding echo.
—Daily Press reporters Roger Lanse and Benjamin Fisher contributed to this story.
The Silver City Daily Press would like to extend our personal condolences to all those affected by this disaster. We, as a part of this community, feel deeply for its loss.
Story and photo: http://www.scdailypress.com
Four people were confirmed dead Friday after the small plane they occupied crashed during an attempted landing at an airport near Silver City, a New Mexico State Police spokesman said.
The single-engine plane went down at approximately 4 p.m. Friday, according to New Mexico State Police. The plane, owned by Dr. Peter Hochla, an Albuquerque-based psychiatrist, overshot the Whiskey Creek Airport, severed two cables and crashed in a field immediately west of Vans Mobile Home Park off of Racetrack Road. About 40 to 50 fire fighters and law enforcement responded to the crash.
According to a news release from the school, Ella Sala Myers had just completed her sophomore year at Aldo Leopold Charter School. She was the forestry expert on the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Ecological Monitoring Crew which won first place at the New Mexico EnviroThon Competition earlier this year. As part of her YCC duties, Ella taught elementary school kids about ecology, conservation, watershed health, presented at the Children's Gila River Festival, and instructed ALCS staff and students on orientating prior to the all school backpacking trips. Ella had recently been awarded a merit scholarship and was planning to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's accredited Summer Arts Program studying film and video. She was recently honored by Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at the Warehouse 508 in Albuquerque with gold and silver keys for her photography and video. Two of her novels went on to the national level and both were awarded gold keys. She was in the top 25 high school kids in the country awarded this honor.
Ella's main love was her horse Gracie, according to the news release. Gracie is a big Dutch warm blood that Ella rode jumpers with. Ella was a talented equestrian and, as she put it, "Gracie is my best friend." She was devoted to her horse and rode her six days a week.
Ella was an honor roll student all of the semesters she attended ALCS, planned to be deputy editor of the ALCS Newsletter and was saving up for the tropical ecology trip to Costa Rica. Ella was an avid writer, musician, and artist. She wrote many novels, one of which won an honorable mention in a National Youth Literature Contest, she played and composed on a violin, and has art in various community spaces. Ella was very athletic, she was a part of the Silver High Lady Colts track team and won first place in her age category for the 31 mile Citizens Tour of the Gila Bike race.
According to school officials in a news release, Michael Sebastian Mahl had just completed his sophomore year at Aldo Leopold Charter School. He attended Agape Christian Academy prior to attending ALCS. Michael was vice president of the Student Council and was just elected student body president for next year. He was the soil expert on the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) Ecological Monitoring Crew which won first place at the New Mexico EnviroThon Competition this year. As part of his YCC duties, Michael taught elementary school kids about ecology, conservation, watershed health, presented at the Children's Gila River Festival, and instructed ALCS staff and students on orientating prior to the all school backpacking trips. Michael played guitar, drums and sang. He had a passion for music and arts. Michael was on the honor roll every semester since his freshman year. This year he compiled the yearbook and was an integral part of the ALCS Newsletter. Michael worked at his father's business, J&J Signs and was raising money for the school's Tropical Ecology research field trip to Costa Rica.
SILVER CITY >> Three of the four dead in Friday's plane crash in Arenas Valley, just outside of Silver City, were students at Aldo Leopold Charter School, school officials have confirmed.
The crash happened just before 4 p.m., when the single-engine plane overshot the Whiskey Creek Airport and crashed into a field behind Vans Mobile Home Park off Race Track Road.
All four occupants of the plane belonging to Albuquerque psychiatrist Dr. Peter Hochla died. Police have not released the names of the victims.
Aldo Leopold school officials met with students and parents at the Grant County Administration building at about 6 p.m. Friday and reportedly told attendees the names of the victims. School officials have asked that the media respect parents', teachers' and students' need for privacy.
Aldo Leopold Charter School is relatively small. The 2014 graduating class was made up of 16 students.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, although NMSP have confirmed the plane clipped two wires on its way down.
Richard Medina said he saw the plane flying at an altitude of about 200 feet and said he saw it attempt to land at Whiskey Creek Aiport.
"I heard the airplane flying over and it didn't sound right," Medina said.
A resident of the Vans Mobile Home Park, A. Gene Sharpe-Torres, witnessed the crash.
She said she looked out of her window, saw the plane coming straight toward her and thought, "I could be dead in the next moment."
She said the plane was upside down and tilted sideways before it veered to the right, then burst into flames as it crashed into a neighboring grass field.
Sharpe-Torres said residents of the mobile home park rushed to the crash site with shovels, axes and hoses to try to contain the blaze. Sharpe-Torres said her neighbor, Allena Thompson, rushed out in flip-flops with a pickaxe.
"She was way out there, banging out the flames," Sharpe-Torres said.
Thompson said she heard the crash and looked out the window of her mobile home and saw what she described as a big ball of fire.
"As we fought the fire, the plane exploded twice," she said.
About 40 to 50 law enforcement and fire-fighting personnel responded to the crash site and ordered residents of the mobile home park to evacuate to a nearby church.
Eugene Muñoz said he drove past the police blockade at the turnoff for Race Track Road because he was determined to find his mother, Susan Renova, who needed assistance getting out of her mobile home. Muñoz said he found Renova in the church across the street and that an emergency medical technician had helped Renova reach safety.
Muñoz said the heat from the flames of the fire melted the tarp on the back end of his horse trailer. The fire from the blaze also burned the skirt of another trailer.
"It was really peaceful here until yesterday," Muñoz said. "Then it became a nightmare."
For Thompson, the nightmare continued after the plane crash. She evacuated to her mother's house two miles away, while her husband Steve Thompson stayed in their trailer.
Allena said she didn't know the whereabouts of her daughter, an Aldo Leopold student, and after about an hour of waiting, she started to panic. Allena's daughter was not in the plane.
When Allena tried to re-enter the mobile home park, she was arrested by a Grant County sheriff's deputy and said she was cited for resisting arrest and fleeing an officer.
"He didn't understand my state of mind," Allena said.
The residents of the mobile home park were allowed to return to their homes at about 8:30 p.m. Friday night and law enforcement remained at the crash site through the night.
Someone who would not give his name said Whiskey Creek Airport is a private airport and that the airport had no comment regarding the crash.
The Office of the Medical Investigator, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Traffic and Safety Bureau are investigating the crash site.
Story, photos, video: http://www.scsun-news.com
More than 100 members of the Aldo Leopold Charter School community came together Friday evening at the Grant County Administration Center to console one another and to remember three of their classmates who were killed Friday afternoon in an airplane crash in Arenas Valley.
“This is a beautiful expression of what this school is all about,” said Dave Chandler, Aldo Leopold Charter School director of development. “Parents, students, staff, coming together on a moment’s notice to support one another.”
The three students, whose names have not been released, were lost after a single-engine, fixed-wing airplane crashed just south of Van’s Trailer Park, 28 Racetrack Road, in Arenas Valley shortly after takeoff from Whiskey Creek Airport. Residents of the trailer park were evacuated, but no one on the ground was hurt, according to New Mexico State Police Lt. Robert McDonald.
“I can confirm that three of our students were killed in a plane crash this afternoon,” Chandler said. “Right now, we’re focused on supporting our students and staff, and more information will be released as it’s appropriate.”
The pilot of the aircraft, also killed in the crash, had volunteered to fly the students over the area burned by last week’s Signal Fire in the Gila National Forest north of Silver City. The high school students had been involved in a forest monitoring project in the area prior to the fire. The flight was not sponsored by the school.
Johnny Cuellar of Vanadium, owner of J&J Stucco, was working with two of his employees on a job across Racetrack Road from the trailer park, and he estimated that the plane crashed about 400 feet away from them.
“We felt the boom, we felt the heat,” Cuellar told the Daily Press Friday evening.
According to Cuellar’s crew, the airplane was flying low as it cleared the ridge headed northeast, and just before it crashed, the plane banked sharply, making a nearly-180 degree turn before hitting the ground.
“The plane was sputtering, and it just went straight down,” said Robert Huerta of Silver City, who was the only member of Cuellar’s crew to witness the crash itself. “It fell in a vacant lot right south of the trailers… (the fire) must have shot up 200, 300 feet in the air.”
“We heard the crash, so we ran around to the front, and there was all flame and smoke,” said Daniel Hernandez of Silver City, the third member of the stucco crew. “We ran over and crossed through a barbed wire fence, and the plane (wreckage) was just right there.”
Cuellar and his crew stayed and attempted to keep the grass fire caused by the crash under control until fire crews arrived about five minutes later.
An investigator from the Albuquerque office of the Federal Aviation Administration has been called and is scheduled to arrive at the crash site Saturday morning.
According to Grant County Sheriff Raul Villanueva, officers from his department and the New Mexico State Police will hold the scene Friday night and Saturday morning for the FAA investigator.
Meanwhile, the community continues to pull together in an effort to make sense of the loss. Cuellar and his stucco crew plan to return to their Racetrack Road job on Monday, but he expects that the job will feel different after today.
“It’s going to be a different way of seeing everything,” Cuellar said.
Across the street from the scene, just over an hour after the fateful crash, the community began to gather.
Car after car — parents, teachers, friends — stumbled or hurried out of vehicles to grieve or comfort the tragic loss of young life.
Grant County Sheriff’s Department and New Mexico State Police, quick to the scene, blocked all but directly involved parties. Loved ones were allowed close to the scene, near the trailer park, early so that they were given the most up-to-date information.
Across Racetrack Road, loved ones gathered in small circles or blanketed the shoulders of those already there. Most cried, all shared and some wailed over the loss of some of Silver City’s best and brightest.
In a school community whose students number under 150, the loss of three is bound to make a resounding echo.
—Daily Press reporters Roger Lanse and Benjamin Fisher contributed to this story.
The Silver City Daily Press would like to extend our personal condolences to all those affected by this disaster. We, as a part of this community, feel deeply for its loss.
Story and photo: http://www.scdailypress.com
Four people were confirmed dead Friday after the small plane they occupied crashed during an attempted landing at an airport near Silver City, a New Mexico State Police spokesman said.
The plane crashed about 4 p.m. during a second attempted landing at the Whiskey Creek Airport, a small public airport located about four miles east of Silver City in Grant County, State Police Sgt. Damyan Brown said.
The identities of those killed remained unknown, Brown said. Authorities were on the scene of the charred aircraft late Friday, he said.
The aircraft reportedly had attempted an earlier landing, but pulled up before attempting the second landing, which resulted in the crash, Brown said. The crash caused a grass fire that led to the evacuation of a nearby trailer park, he said. The fire had been extinguished by 7 p.m.
According to a Silver City-Sun News report, one person who witnessed the crash said the plane circled around in the air before taking a nose dive to the ground.
Ivan Martinez, 26, a maintenance man for the Gospel Mission, had just gotten home from work when he saw the plane go straight down from where he lives in nearby Rio de Arenas Trailer Park.
“There was a big ball of fire,” Martinez told the Sun-News. “I saw it go down and it was a big smoke that came up.”
State Police Lt. Robert McDonald said he believes the victims were Grant County residents.
About 40 to 50 law enforcement and firefighting personnel, including the Silver City Fire Department, the Silver City Police Department, the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, the Whiskey Creek Volunteer Fire Department and State Police, responded to the call. McDonald said the Federal Aviation Administration will arrive at the scene of the crash this morning to begin to investigate the cause.
SILVER CITY >> Four people are
dead after a single engine plane went down Friday afternoon behind Vans
Mobile Home Park off Racetrack Road in the Arenas Valley, according to
New Mexico State Police Lt. Robert McDonald.
Police evacuated the residents of the mobile home park into a nearby church.
After
the bodies are removed from the crash site Friday night, the mobile
home residents will be allowed to return to their homes, police said.
According to McDonald the plane was trying to make a landing at Whiskey Creek Airport just before 4 p.m. but the plane could not make the landing.
According to McDonald the plane was trying to make a landing at Whiskey Creek Airport just before 4 p.m. but the plane could not make the landing.
One person who witnessed the crash said the plane circled around in the air before taking a nose dive to the ground.
Ivan Martinez, 26, a maintenance man for the Gospel Mission, had just gotten home from work when he saw the plane go straight down from where he lives in nearby Rio de Arenas Trailer Park.
"There was a big ball of fire," Martinez said. "I saw it go down and it was a big smoke that came up."
McDonald said he can not yet confirm the names of the victims, but he said he believes they were Grant County residents. All four people who were in the plane are dead.
About 40 to 50 law enforcement and firefighting personnel, including the Silver City Fire Department, the Silver City Police Department, the Grant County Sheriff's Department, the Whiskey Creek Volunteer Fire Department and New Mexico State Police all responded to the call.
Ivan Martinez, 26, a maintenance man for the Gospel Mission, had just gotten home from work when he saw the plane go straight down from where he lives in nearby Rio de Arenas Trailer Park.
"There was a big ball of fire," Martinez said. "I saw it go down and it was a big smoke that came up."
McDonald said he can not yet confirm the names of the victims, but he said he believes they were Grant County residents. All four people who were in the plane are dead.
About 40 to 50 law enforcement and firefighting personnel, including the Silver City Fire Department, the Silver City Police Department, the Grant County Sheriff's Department, the Whiskey Creek Volunteer Fire Department and New Mexico State Police all responded to the call.
A grass fire started at 4 p.m. due to the crash, but firefighters responded quickly and were able to put out the blaze.
No structures burned.
McDonald said the Federal Aviation Administration will arrive at the scene of the crash Saturday morning to begin to investigate the cause of the crash.
McDonald said the Federal Aviation Administration will arrive at the scene of the crash Saturday morning to begin to investigate the cause of the crash.
=========
New Mexico State Police confirmed that a small plane has crashed near Silver City, killing four people.
The accident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. as the plane attempted to land at Whiskey Creek Airport.
The type of plane, as well as the identities of the people on board, is unknown. No other injuries have been reported.
Highway 180 and Racetrack Road are both open at this time.
A small trailer park near Whiskey Creek Airport has been evacuated as a result of the crash. Residents will be allowed back into their homes once the bodies of the deceased have been removed from the scene.
High Desert Humane Society told KOB Eyewitness News 4 that they will take in animals for anyone who has been evacuated. They can be reached at 575-538-9261. State Police will be assisting the Federal Aviation Administration with their investigation.
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