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Small medical plane crashes in New Mexico mountains, killing all 4 people aboard

A small medical plane crashed in a mountain range outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, before dawn Thursday, killing all four people aboard and sparking a wildfire in the surrounding forest, officials said.

The fire had grown to 35 acres (14 hectares) by midday amid dry, windy conditions, according to Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns. Burns said county officials were “very concerned” about the blaze and local agencies were working with the U.S. Forest Service to contain it.

The cause of the crash was unknown, Burns said. The plane was located between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Thursday in steep, rocky terrain in the Capitan Mountains that was difficult to access, with crews hiking the last half-mile to reach the crash site, he said.

The victims were flight crew and medical personnel, Burns said. Their names have not yet been made public.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families, loved ones, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident,” Burns said at a news conference.

The flight departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

The plane operated by Trans Aero MedEvac had been on a medical transportation mission and was reported overdue after communications and radar contact were lost, the company said in a statement.

Trans Aero MedEvac has operated in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas since 1966.

Ruidoso, a mountain town with a year-round population of less than 8,000, sits at the base of south-central New Mexico’s Sierra Blanca range. The surrounding area, which includes Lincoln National Forest, is heavily forested and rural.

Five people were killed when a medical plane crashed in the Devil’s Canyon area of Lincoln National Forest in 2007. That crash came almost immediately after the flight left Ruidoso Regional Airport bound for Albuquerque.

Prior to Thursday’s crash, there were 25 fatal crashes of medical planes over the past 25 years that killed nearly 70 people, according to NTSB records.

Several occurred in the past 18 months, including when a jet crashed into a Philadelphia neighborhood in January 2025, killing eight people, and four people were killed in August when a plane crashed on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona. In December, a Mexican Navy plane carrying a young patient and seven others crashed off the coast of Texas in the Gulf.

Medical evacuation plane flights generally aren’t more dangerous than other flights because they travel between airports just like any other plane, aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said. Medical helicopter flights are more dangerous because they often involve landing on roads or other improvised landing sites such as near a vehicle crash to get injured people to a hospital quickly.

A study of air medical accidents over a 20-year period ending in 2020 found that more than 70% of fatalities occurred on helicopters.

“Typically when an air medical air plane accident occurs, the reasons are usually the same as any other airplane accident. There’s not unique issues with the air medical mission,” said Guzzetti, a former crash investigator for the NTSB and FAA.

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Associated Press writers Jacques Billeaud in Phoenix, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.

McConnell says after weeks of speculation that hospitalization was due to a fall

By WTOP Staff
(CNN) — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Sunday announced, after weeks of speculation, that he had a fall last month that landed him in the hospital.“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia,” he said in a statement.McConnell also provided a photo showing him smiling next to his wife, Elaine Chao. He appears to have a copy of Sunday’s Washington Post sports section on his lap.McConnell said he’s moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation center to continue regaining his strength. His doctors have run through “every test they can think of” to try to determine what caused the incident.The former Senate majority leader said he “won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet” but he’s “been working closely” with legislative staff in the meantime.The statement comes after weeks of questions over McConnell’s health, as aides for the 84-year-old were fiercely protective about releasing information on his condition. The lack of information sparked speculation and rumors online that his health had significantly deteriorated.McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, has faced a series of health issues in recent years, including multiple falls. In 2023, he froze midsentence during a news conference.Along with his own statement, McConnell included a note from the attending physician of Congress, who described the injuries after the fall at his Washington, DC, home as “minor.”“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage. Early in his hospitalization, he developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment,” the physician said, adding that the senator has “focused on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls.”Sunday’s statement finally provides an answer to the circumstances of McConnell’s hospitalization on June 14, which has been shrouded in mystery.In his statement, McConnell indirectly addressed why it took so long to share what sent him to the hospital.“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,” he said, addressing his “fellow Kentuckians.”McConnell said he has work to do before retiring at the end of his term.“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work. But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do,” he said.When the incident occurred, his spokesperson said only that McConnell was “admitted to the hospital” and was “receiving excellent care.”Video obtained exclusively by CNN last week showed emergency responders taking McConnell to an ambulance on a stretcher after being called to his home.Weeks into McConnell’s absence, an EMS recording published by an independent journalist indicated emergency responders were called to his home for an “unconscious” person for a “cardiac arrest,” and a paramedic is heard saying, “CPR in progress.”After the audio was published, McConnell’s spokesman released another statement saying the Kentucky Republican remained hospitalized as “he continues his recovery” without providing specifics.Some high-profile Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, issued statements last week saying they recently spoke with McConnell. CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on “The Arena” that he talked with McConnell on the phone Tuesday and that his “voice sounded strong.”“I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities,” McConnell said in his statement Sunday.In March 2023, he suffered a concussion and broken ribs after a fall. Months later, he froze midsentence during a news conference. CNN later reported he had suffered two other falls earlier that year.The attending physician noted that “McConnell has experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition.”Adults who had polio during childhood can develop post-polio syndrome even decades later. Symptoms include gradual weakening of muscles, fatigue, and muscle and joint paint. There is no specific treatment for post-polio syndrome, but patients may receive physical, occupational and speech therapy, medications for certain symptoms or use mobility aids such as walkers and braces.It’s not clear how common post-polio syndrome is, but some studies estimate 25% to 40% of polio survivors experience it, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.McConnell’s statement came the same day it was announced that his colleague Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, died following a sudden illness. He was 71.This story has been updated with additional information.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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