RELATED STORIES

• Plane crashes are a history of the Sandias

More Local

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
• Former Marine to serve two years in jail for killing Albuquerque robber
• Wilson-Pearce battle for U.S. Senate exemplifies party's disparity

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

A small plane that clipped the face of the Sandia Mountains and crashed, most likely killing the pilot, was probably heading from California to Mississippi, search leaders said this morning.

It is unknown if any passengers were on the plane when it crashed Saturday.

Volunteers with the New Mexico Search and Rescue Team reported seeing one body amid the debris at the crash site, said Wes Crownover, field coordinator for the rescue team.

Rescue volunteers were alerted to the crash Saturday night when the Cessna-type plane sent out an emergency location transmitter alert.

About 18 hours later, they were able to pinpoint the crash site and directed a National Guard Blackhawk helicopter to fly over with a small crew, including a medic and a field investigator from the Office of the Medical Investigator, according to State Police.

The rescuers descended to the crash site Sunday evening, but when the crew saw a bear nearby, they delayed the recovery mission until this morning.

About 50 members of a rescue team planned to work throughout the day to reach the wreckage of the plane, which they believe might be a 1980 Beech Baron 58, Crownover said.

State Police spokesman Sgt. Andrew Tingwall said a team of investigators planned to work with Game and Fish officers to keep bears at bay as they searched.

So far, they believe that the flight originated in California and was destined for Mississippi, Crownover said.

Only a few numbers of the plane's identification were collected, making identification of the plane difficult.

Team leaders said the wreckage spread over a quarter mile of the rocky area and cliffs. The area is about five miles northeast into the mountains from the La Luz trail head, Crownover said.

The plane, Crownover said, was about 500 feet from clearing the cliff it hit.

Satellites picked up the plane's emergency locater transmission Saturday night.

Crownover said it is protocol for the rescue team, which is activated and administered through State Police, to locate the beacon by hand with crews on the ground and then call for air support.

He said the terrain made it difficult to pinpoint where the crash was because the radio transmissions bounced off of cliffs and canyon walls.

Crownover expected the crew to recover the body and other necessary information by 8 p.m. today.