Plane crash kills 4 in Angel Fire

ANGEL FIRE, N.M. (KRQE) - State police confirmed there were no survivors in the crash of a single engine plane that took off in northern New Mexico Sunday.

Photos: Angel Fire Plane Crash

The crash killed four people and was close to Highway 434, south of the Angel Fire Airport.

An airport attendant says the plane crashed at about 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon, shortly after taking off.
    
Several drivers reported it as they passed it on the highway.
    
It's still unclear exactly who was on board the plane.
    
Investigators are not releasing the pilots name and say they are still trying to identify the others.
    
An airport official says it may have been two adults and two children. They also say the plane was a Mooney registered in San Antonio, Texas.
    
A CBS station in Texas says John Verhalen of Scottsville Texas owned the plane, but it is not known if he was the one flying it Sunday afternoon.
    
The cause of the crash is still under investigation but the fire department says winds were likely a factor.
    
Sources tell KRQE News 13 that officials at the airport told the pilot not to take off because the cross winds were high, reaching more than 50 miles per hour.

Other residents said the weather affected the ski slopes.

”The main chili express they shut it down at noon. The southwest flyer that lift try never shut it down and they shut it down today. It was really windy,” Steve Lund said.

”This is a town year round of under a thousand residents. It's a iffy knit community. I hear something like that is pretty devastating,” Michael Cain said.

State police watched over the scene Sunday. They're expecting federal aviation investigators to take over Monday.
    
Angel Fire Airport doesn't have an air traffic control tower, so pilots land and take off at their own discretion.