1 person dead following plane crash at Las Cruces Air & Space Expo

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A plane crashed during the second annual air and space expo in Las Cruces.

One person died as a result of the crash, New Mexico State Police confirmed.

Although details on the identity have not been released, officials with the Las Cruces International Airport stated during a press conference on Sunday that they were giving the family time to arrive in Las Cruces.

The single aircraft crash happened at the Las Cruces International Airport Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The show was suspended immediately following the crash.

A spectator and an airline owner said he was shocked as he witnessed the deadly incident.

“Seeing that, it's traumatized me permanently because it's, it's very hard to see someone have that happen to them,” Adrian Moreno said.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed they are investigating the crash.

NTSB is investigating the crash of an Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L airplane at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time on Oct. 20 near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The preliminary information we have is that the plane impacted terrain one-half mile west of the Las Cruces International Airport while performing aerobatics at the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo.

An NTSB investigator is en route to the scene and is expected to arrive this tomorrow. Once on site, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. The aircraft will then be recovered to a secure facility for further evaluation. - NTSB Spokesperson

NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, investigators will gather the following information and records:

• Flight track data
• Recordings of any air traffic control communications
• Aircraft maintenance records
• Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
• Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
• 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safety operate the flight
• Witness statements
• Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
• Any available surveillance video, including from doorbell cameras

Witnesses to the accident or those who have surveillance video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

The New Mexico State Police Department is the lead agency on this investigation, according to a spokesperson for the Las Cruces Police Department.

KFOX14/CBS4 reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration, but haven't heard back yet.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

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