Official: Military plane crashes in New Mexico desert

A military aircraft crashed in the New Mexico desert northwest of Las Cruces International Airport during a training flight Saturday, injuring at least one person aboard, according to local officials.

Las Cruces Fire Department spokesman Lt. Mike Martinez said the flight was a training aircraft and a student and instructor were aboard the aircraft and ejected before the crash.

Martinez said at least one of the two people aboard sustained minor injuries and had to be taken to a hospital but didn’t have further details.

Martinez directed further questions to the New Mexico State Police.

New Mexico State Police Sgt. Chad Pierce said his agency has been tasked with keeping the crash site secured while the military and Federal Aviation Administration investigated.

Pierce said he could not confirm any other details about the crash and directed questions to the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station.

A message seeking details about the crash was left for the base’s public information officer Saturday evening. The air station, along South Texas’ Gulf coast, serves as a training hub for pilots for the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, along with foreign student pilots, according to its website.

Messages left Saturday with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were not immediately returned.