Four people were killed when a medical transport plane crashed near Chinle Airport, the Navajo Police Department said.
The small, dual-propeller aircraft was heading to pick up a patient from a nearby hospital when it crashed and caught on fire around 12:40 p.m. on Aug. 5, police said.
“This is a tragic loss to the families of those onboard and to the medical air and first responder community,” Navajo police said in a social media post. “We extend our deepest condolences to their family and loved ones during this time.”
The passengers were “non-local," police said. The Albuquerque aircraft company CSI Aviation conducted next-of-kin notifications, according to police.
The reason for the crash was unknown, as of Aug. 5. The National Traffic Safety Bureau and the Federal Aviation Administration were set to investigate the crash, police said.
The Navajo Police Department Chinle District responded to the crash as did Navajo EMS and Navajo Nation Fire & Rescue Services, police said. Chinle Airport, located in Apache County, is owned by the Navajo Nation, according to the Navajo Nation Division of Transportation.
Arizona has seen several municipal airport crashes in the past year, including in Scottsdale and Marana.
Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach her via email at [email protected] and on X, Bluesky, TikTok and Threads @stephanie_murr.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ medical transport plane crash near Chinle Airport leaves 4 dead
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