Police: 5 killed, 1 injured in New Mexico helicopter crash

RATON, N.M. — A helicopter crashed in a mountainous rural area of northern New Mexico, killing five people and seriously injuring the sixth person aboard, a New Mexico State Police spokeswoman said Thursday.

Lt. Elizabeth Armijo confirmed the five deaths and one injury about 14 hours after the helicopter went down about 6 p.m. Wednesday about 15 miles (24 kilometres) east of the small city of Raton near the Colorado state line.

Armijo said no additional information was immediately available about the victims or circumstances of the crash.

The police agency posted Wednesday night on Twitter that “response and rescue attempts” were ongoing but slow.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the helicopter was a Huey UH-1. Information on its registration was not available, Lunsford said.

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Huey helicopters are flown for individuals, businesses and government agencies.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, and agency spokesman Eric Weiss an NTSB investigator was expected to arrive at the crash site late Thursday.

Raton is 175 miles (282 kilometres) northeast of Albuquerque.

The Associated Press