BREAKING: Four Dead After Plane Crash on Navajo Nation

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By Elyse Wild

August 05, 2025

Four people are dead after a medical transport plane crashed at around 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday on the Navajo Nation in Chinle.

According to a public statement by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, the plane was en route to pick up a patient.

"I am heartbroken to learn of the tragic plane crash near the Chinle Airport, which claimed the lives of four medical personnel who were non-local," Nygren wrote. "These were people who dedicated their lives to saving others, and their loss is felt deeply across the Navajo Nation ... Our prayers are with the families of those on the plane as investigations continue. May the Creator bring comfort and strength in the days ahead for the friends and families involved. "

The names of the deceased have not been released.

This is a developing story. 

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Author: Elyse WildEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Senior Health Editor

Elyse Wild is Senior Health Editor for Native News Online, where she leads coverage of health equity issues including mental health, environmental health, maternal mortality, and the overdose crisis in Indian Country. Her award-winning journalism has appeared in The Guardian, McClatchy newspapers, and NPR affiliates. In 2024, she received the inaugural Excellence in Recovery Journalism Award for her solutions-focused reporting on addiction and recovery in Native communities. She is currently working on a Pulitzer Center-funded series exploring cultural approaches to addiction treatment.