Authorities on Monday were still investigating why a plane crashed last week on its way to Durango from the Austin, Texas, area.
A man and woman believed to be from the Austin area died after their Piper PA-28 crashed southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said Sgt. Robert Carrejo, with the New Mexico State Police. The victims have not yet been positively identified.
Officers conducting the investigation found a Texas drivers license, and the tail number was registered in Texas. They declined to release the tail number pending positive identification of the victims.
The plane left Texas on Dec. 29, 2014, and the New Mexico State Patrol started looking for the plane on Dec. 31, he said.
The plane was found in pieces by local authorities 11 miles west of Vaughn, New Mexico, at about 2 a.m. Jan. 1.
Two Civil Air Patrol pilots from Albuquerque flew into winter storm on Dec. 31 to assist the search. Crews tracked down the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter signal, and reported the location to local law enforcement, according to the Associated Press.
The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the incident, and it may take up to two weeks to identify victims, Carrejo said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
