The congressman received a briefing on the investigation after a preliminary report noted pilot navigation problems while military jamming tests were underway

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez met with National Transportation Safety Board officials this week seeking answers about a medical transport plane crash near Ruidoso that killed four people and sparked the Seven Cabins Fire.

Vasquez received the briefing July 14 from NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and other agency officials. According to his office, officials said the investigation remains underway and was delayed after the wildfire engulfed the crash site.

The plane took off from Roswell shortly before midnight May 14 and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport in Alto. It crashed about 23 minutes later in the Capitan Mountains, killing all four people aboard.

The crash ignited the Seven Cabins Fire, which has burned more than 31,000 acres.

A preliminary NTSB report released in June noted that the pilot was experiencing navigation problems while Department of Defense jamming tests were occurring at White Sands Missile Range. The preliminary report did not determine the cause of the crash.

“This week, I communicated with NTSB officials that a thorough investigation must be concluded to fully understand the cause of this tragic and fatal crash, and prevent future accidents in the future,” Vasquez said.

He said pilots and passengers should not be placed in preventable hazardous conditions outside their control and pledged to continue seeking answers for the victims’ families.

The Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB are investigating the crash.

Vasquez has also pressed federal officials over the abrupt closure of El Paso airspace in February. His office said he and other members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation requested a classified briefing and later questioned Defense Department officials about communications failures and risks associated with counter-drone systems.

In June, Vasquez secured an amendment to the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Defense Department to report on its coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and FAA, explain the February airspace closure and describe steps intended to prevent similar incidents.