NTSB investigating Las Cruces plane crash; witness speaks

A Las Cruces firefighter says he witnessed the plane crash that killed 29-year-old local businessman Tyler Francis. Now, ABC-7 is learning more about the plane Francis is believed to have been flying.

A hole in the ground is the only sign left of Monday’s single-engine plane crash that killed Francis. Mike Lopez said he saw the whole thing.

“I saw the departure of the plane at an odd angle and lost sight of it for approximately 30 seconds,” Lopez said. “I heard a buzzing sound that got louder and louder and I pretty much saw it fall to the ground.”

Doa Ana County International Jetport Manager Bill Provance knew Francis and worked with him closely over the past couple years. Francis’ business, Francis Aviation is based out of the airport.

Provance said Francis had aspirations to see the Santa Teresa Airport grow and he was hoping to be able to do that with the help of the new industrial park nearby.

“I had actually never seen the airplane before. He had just recently purchased it, as what I understand,” Provance said.

ABC-7 learned the plane Francis was in started off as a kit purchased from Van’s Aircraft, Inc. in Oregon. President Scott Risan said it’s up to the owner to customize the engine and components, essentially building their own plane. Since its introduction in 1973, the planes are known to have strong safety records, according to Risan.

“All fixed wing aircraft, including the RV-3, are designed to glide without power … they do it every time they come in to land,” Risan said in an e-mailed statement. “In fact, the RV-3 glides very well without the engine running and has a glide ratio of approximately 8-1. That means that if you’re at an altitude of 5,000 feet above the ground (approximately one mile up) and shut the engine off, the aircraft has the ability to glide eight miles and land normally with no power whatsoever.”

Risan sent his condolences to the Francis family and said Van’s will assist in the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration, should the company be asked to do so.

“Losing him and him youthful ambition and his wisdom is going to be difficult to replace,” Provance said.