Pilot in Las Cruces plane crash has died

breaking news from … our new mexico mobile newsroom. new mexico state police have identified the pilot of the small plane that crashed outside the las cruces airport last week. investigators say 64-year-old david tokoph of el paso died at university medical center last night. the nose of the vintage navy plane he was piloting was badly damaged after the plane crash landed in the desert. investigators say tokoph’s passenger — angelo edgard cossi of france — was treated for injuries at a las cruces hospital. if david tokoph’s’s name sounds familiar, it’s because we introduced him to you back in 2009 when he piloted a small plane that broke a big record. he was part of a group of el pasoans who traveled non stop between russia and el paso. that’s a journey of more that 54 hundred miles. an abc-7 camera was rolling as the gulfstream jet – decorated in friendship signs – touched down in the sun city. tokoph and his crew crossed five time zones and saw two sunrises. we spoke with tokoph soon after he arrived in el paso: david tokoph: “it is good for e paso because as el pasoans we naturally want to come to our hometown and we brought the only airplane to come non sotp from russia, to our knowledge, in the history of aviation” then mayor john cook welcomed the crew home…. ..even sharing a sip of vodka with the men. i met mr. tokoph several times years ago … and i want to personally pass along my condolences to his family including his wife denise and his son david junior. may he rest in peace. if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. just a few