5 People Killed in Ambulance Plane Crash in Nevada: 'We Are Heartbroken'

The victims were a pilot, a flight nurse, a flight paramedic, a patient and a relative of the patient

A medical transport airplane crashed Friday in Stagecoach, Nev., resulting in the deaths of all five people aboard.

Lyon County Sheriff's Office received multiple reports of a possible plane crash at around 9:15 p.m., and announced in a news release Friday night that the fixed-wing aircraft was operated by Reno-based air ambulance company Care Flight.

"We are heartbroken to report that we have now received confirmation from Central Lyon County Fire Department that none of the five people on board survived," Care Flight announced in a statement, noting that the aircraft with tail number N273SM went off radar at around 9:45 p.m.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 30: A Pilatus PC-12/45 takes off at Los Angeles international Airport on July 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC

"The five people on board were a pilot, a flight nurse, a flight paramedic, a patient and a patient's family member," the statement continued. "We are in the process of notifying their family members."

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Care Flight, a service of Guardian Flight and REMSA Health, additionally announced a "passive stand down" of all company flights as part of its safety procedure following the tragedy.

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The sheriff's office said officers located the crash two hours after it was reported, arriving on the scene with Central Lyon County Fire, as well as fire and rescue from Lyon and Douglas counties.

The National Transportation Safety Board has also sent a team to Nevada to investigate, according to their announcement. The agency will also hold a press conference Sunday with updates on the crash.

On Wednesday, another plane crash in Little Rock, Arkansas resulted in the deaths of five employees of the environmental consulting firm CTEH.

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