The fire, which officials have not formally named, was ignited by the wreckage of the medical flight that went down in rugged terrain north of the Capitan Mountains. The aircraft, a small jet operated jointly by Generation Jets and Trans Aero MedEvac, was on a routine transfer flight from Roswell to Sierra Blanca when it crashed before dawn Thursday. All four occupants were killed on impact.
Authorities identified the pilots as Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara, employees of Generation Jets, and the flight nurses as Jamie Novick and Sarah Clark, employees of Trans Aero MedEvac. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which has dispatched a team to the site.
The wildfire that followed was reported by local officials Monday as having grown rapidly, prompting evacuation orders for the rural area north of the Capitan Mountains and closure of sections of Lincoln National Forest. Fire crews from multiple agencies were working to contain the blaze, which was burning in difficult terrain with limited road access.
Trans Aero MedEvac Vice President Matt Goertz issued a joint statement with Generation Jets, expressing condolences for the victims. “Our hearts remain with the families and loved ones navigating an unimaginable loss,” Goertz said.
The crash marks the latest in a series of fatal aviation accidents in the region, including the May 2 crash of a plane carrying Texas pickleball players that killed all five aboard. That crash also occurred in the Southwest and is being investigated by the NTSB.