New Mexico State Police report four dead in plane crash near Hatch
Sun-News Reports
November 6, 2017
(Photo: Courtesy Village of Hatch)
LAS CRUCES, NM - State officials are reporting four people were killed over the weekend in a plane crash near Hatch.
According to a release from New Mexico State Police, officers responded around 5:30 p.m. Sunday to the crash site, roughly 300 meters northwest of the Hatch airport. It's not clear when the crash happened.
Officers reported a fixed-wing, single engine Cessna aircraft crashed with four people inside. All were pronounced dead at the scene.
FAA and Hatch officials on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, look over the wreckage of a fixed-wing single engine Cessna aircraft that crashed near the Hatch Airport on Saturday. Four people died in the crash. (Photo: Josh Bachman/Sun-News)
The four occupants have been identified as Anthony Deramus, 57, of El Paso; Christopher Howell, 33, of El Paso; Kanequa Chancellor, 41, of El Paso; and Malcolm Watkins, 25, of Waxahachie, Texas.
The cause of the crash is unknown, police report.
The Federal Aviation Administration was to arrive Monday to conduct an investigation, police said.
The incident marks the second fatal plane crash in Doña Ana County in the last month. On Oct. 12, Morris Doug Newton, 77, of Las Cruces and David Glenn Hancock, 67, of El Paso died in a plane crash roughly four miles northeast of the Las Cruces International Airport.
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Hatch,NM/Dona Ana County (KTSM) - New Mexico State Police report four people, including three from El Paso, were killed in a plane crash just outside of Hatch, NM.
Around 5:30 p.m. on November 5, 2017, New Mexico State Police responded to a downed aircraft call in Dona Ana County, approximately 300 meters northwest of the Hatch airport.
Officers located the sight of the crash and reported a fixed-wing, single engine Cessna aircraft had crashed.
All four passengers were pronounced deceased by the Office of the Medical Investigator and have been identified as:
Anthony Deramus (57) of El Paso, TX.
Christopher Howell (33) of El Paso, TX.
Kanequa Chancellor (41) of El Paso, TX.
Malcolm Watkins ( 25) of Waxahachie, TX.
Photo: Kanequa Chancellor during KTSM appearance in October
The cause of the crash is still unknown at this time. The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted and will be arriving today to conduct an investigation into the cause and nature of the crash.
KTSM has confirmed the three El Pasoans killed in the crash were all members of Destiny Christian Church in Northeast El Paso. Chancellor served as College Youth Pastor and Deramus was a Deacon at the church. Chancellor was also a former UTEP women's basketball player in the late 90's.
Social media posts by Chancellor and Howell indicate that the group had borrowed a plane to fly Chancellor around the city and to Sparky's in Hatch for lunch as part of a birthday celebration for her.
Here is what Chacenllor wrote in her Facebook pages profile:
- Career & Technical Education Coordinator at Clint ISD
- Studied Public relations at UT El Paso
- Lives in El Paso, Texas
- From Dallas, Texas
Manages IMAX Young Adults and Be Extraordinary Vlogs
Destiny Christian Church will be holding a special service in their honor Monday night at 6 p.m.
Date: 05-NOV-2017
Time: -17:30
Type:
Cessna 172N Skyhawk
Owner/operator: Caribbean Paradise LLC
Registration: N251CH
C/n / msn: 17271075
Fatalities: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: NW of Hatch Municipal Airport (E05), Hatch, NM -
United States of America Phase: Unknown
Nature: Private
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:
The aircraft impacted the terrain in Dona Ana County northwest of Hatch Municipal Airport (E05), Hatch, New Mexico. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the four occupants onboard were fatally injured.
Sources:
http://www.elpasoproud.com/news/three-el-pasoans-killed-in-plane-crash-near-hatch-nm/852156360
http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/local/2017/11/06/new-mexico-state-police-report-four-dead-plane-crash-near-hatch/835718001/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=
https://www.google.com/maps/place/hatch+municipal+airport/@32.658333,-107.190002,13z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd980e6e4d46645bf?sa=X&hl=en-us
FAA
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N251CH
https://www.openairplane.com/operators/caribbean-paradise/