The crash sparked the Seven Cabins Fire, which spread through dry, rugged forest north of Capitan.
CAPITAN, NM — Four people were killed Thursday when a medical transport plane crashed in the Capitan Mountains north of Capitan, sparking a wildfire that crews were still fighting days later in steep and dry forest terrain.
The crash turned a medical flight into a joint aviation, law enforcement and wildfire emergency in Lincoln County. The aircraft had left Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport near Ruidoso when officials lost contact with it. By Sunday, the fire linked to the crash had grown into the Seven Cabins Fire, forcing evacuations north of the Capitan Mountains while federal investigators began looking into why the plane went down.
The aircraft, identified by investigators as a Beech C90 King Air, was reported missing after radar and radio contact were lost early Thursday. Lincoln County officials said emergency protocols began after the plane failed to arrive as scheduled and reports came in of fire in the Capitan Mountains. Searchers found the crash site between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. in steep, rocky terrain. Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns said crews had to hike the final half-mile to reach the wreckage. “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 four people killed were identified by local reports as pilots Keelan Clark and Ali Kawsara and Trans Aero MedEvac flight nurses Sarah Clark and Jamie Novick. Officials initially held the names while families were notified. Trans Aero MedEvac said the crew members were part of its medical transport team and said safety remained central to its work. Lincoln County Sheriff Michael Wood called the deaths a devastating loss for the community. No patient was reported aboard in the early public statements. Authorities have not said what emergency call or medical transport mission the crew was serving when the aircraft left Roswell.
The fire began at 4:12 a.m. Thursday north of Capitan in the Capitan Mountain Wilderness. Early estimates placed it at 35 acres, but it grew quickly as winds, dry fuels and rough country slowed access. Fire officials said the blaze was burning through dead and downed logs inside the Peppin Fire scar. By Sunday morning, local reports said the Seven Cabins Fire had burned more than 6,000 acres and was 0% contained. A communications site was listed as a value at risk. The Village of Capitan was not reported under threat, but residents in areas off State Highway 246 from Gap Road to Boy Scout Mountain were placed in evacuation status.
Fire crews used air tankers, helicopters, engines, a water tender and hotshot crews as they worked the perimeter. Incident Commander Caleb Finch said the dry fuel was the main concern. “The number one point to share with the public is that these fuels are extremely dry,” Finch said. He said long drought conditions had left the area primed to burn and that it would take major moisture to help put the fire out. The U.S. Forest Service issued a closure order Saturday for the Capitan Mountain area, including land from Highway 246 around the forest boundary south to the South Base Trail System. The order listed public and firefighter safety as the reason for the closure.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the May 14 crash near Capitan. The Federal Aviation Administration also is involved. Investigators are expected to review the wreckage, weather, flight path, radio calls, maintenance records and any available flight data. A former NTSB investigator told a local station that rugged terrain and fire damage could make the mechanical part of the investigation harder. Officials have not named a cause. They also have not said whether weather, terrain, equipment failure, navigation issues or any other factor played a role. A preliminary report could come before the final cause is known, but aviation investigations often take months.
The crash added to a difficult stretch for air medical crews in the region and across the country. Medical flights often move patients, nurses, paramedics and pilots across long distances where hospitals are far apart. New Mexico and nearby states rely on those flights because many rural communities are separated by mountains, desert and long stretches of highway. Another medical transport plane crashed on the Navajo Nation in Arizona in 2025, killing four people connected to a New Mexico-based crew. In the Capitan crash, colleagues and officials described the victims as medical and flight professionals whose work was built around emergency care.
Smoke from the Seven Cabins Fire was visible in surrounding areas as crews worked under difficult conditions. Fire officials said aircraft were being used because the terrain limited ground access. The response also drew county emergency managers, law enforcement, Lincoln National Forest crews and other regional resources. Livestock shelter plans were announced for small animals at the fairgrounds in Capitan as evacuation notices expanded north of the mountains. Officials said the public should stay clear of the fire area so crews could move equipment and aircraft without added risk. Drones were also flagged as a danger to air operations.
As of Sunday, May 17, the crash investigation remained open and the Seven Cabins Fire was still active with no containment reported in the latest local update. The next major milestones are updated fire mapping, containment progress and the first findings from federal aviation investigators.
Author note: Last updated May 17, 2026.