No injuries in Portales plane crash

A plane crashed a little after 4 p.m. Monday at Portales Municipal Airport, but no injuries were reported.

According to a news release from Portales Fire Chief T.J. Cathey, the Portales Fire Department responded to the scene with five units.

Cathey said the three people in the plane are from Texas.

“They had stopped at the Portales airport to refuel,” Cathey told The News Wednesday.

Cathey had no additional information on the identity of the pilot or passengers.

“I just know they weren’t from here, they were headed home,” Cathey said.

Cathey said once the plane was refueled it was taking off and that’s when the incident happened.

“I’m not sure what caused the crash. Something happened and they crashed in the dirt outside the runway. I do believe that plane is no longer airworthy,” Cathey said.

The plane was briefly airborne according to Kelly McClellan, Portales Community Services Director who is also Airport Manager.

“During takeoff, an aircraft crashed off the runway seconds after becoming airborne,” McClellan wrote in an email.

McClellan declined to identify the pilot and passengers in the craft.

“To be respectful of the people involved, (we are) unable to provide any personal details of the people involved in the incident,” McClellan wrote.

As to agencies investigating the incident she wrote, “(we) sent all the necessary information to all the agencies that investigate these types of crashes.”

Cathey said airport personnel did their “due diligence” in the matter including notifying New Mexico State Police about a hazmat matter with the spillage of aviation fuel.

Cathey expressed appreciation to numerous people and agencies involved in working the incident.