NOW. 54-YEAR-OLD RICHARD GARDNER WAS ON HIS WAY HOME FROM NEW YORK WHEN HIS PLANE WENT DOWN AROUND 10 LAST NIGHT... JUST MILES AWAY FROM THE SANTA FE AIRPORT. KAYLA ANDERSON IS LIVE NEAR THE CRASH SITE WITH OUR TOP STORY MARLA, RIGHT NOW THE FAA IS AT THE CRASH SITE... SCANNING THROUGH ABOUT A QUARTER MILE OF DEBRIS. AND I’M TOLD THE NTSB WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. BUT, BECAUSE OF THE INTENSITY OF THE CRASH AND FIRE, WE'RE TOLD THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH LEFT OF THE PLANE. 54-YEAR-OLD RICHARD GARDNER LEAVES BEHIND A WIFE AND THREE DAUGHTERS. THE RETIRED IBM EMPLOYEE WAS THE ONLY ONE ONBOARD THE SMALL PLANE WHEN IT WENT DOWN LAST NIGHT SHORTLY AFTER TEN. YOU'RE LOOKING AT EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF THE CRASH SCENE... AS RESCUE CREWS REACHED IT. WITNESSES IN THE AREA DESCRIBED SEEING LIGHTS IN THE SKY... FOLLOWED BY A BALL OF FIRE. GARDNER DID RADIO INTO THE AIRPORT THAT HE WAS ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY AND COMING IN FOR A LANDING... BUT WE'RE TOLD HE DID 'NOT'RADIO IN A DISTRESS CALL. MEANWHILE, HIS FAMILY HERE IN SANTA FE WAS GROWING WORRIED. We did get a call to our dispatch center from his wife, wanting to report him missing, that he had not reported in and should have landed by now. And then we waited to verify that it was him and then went and met with him personally. SHERIFF SOLANO SAYS RICHARD GARDNER PURCHASED THE PLANE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO ... BUT IT'S NOT KNOWN YET HOW MUCH FLYING EXPERIENCE HE HAD. WE WENT TO HIS HOME THIS MORNING... BUT HIS FAMILY DIDN'T WANT TO COMMENT. THE NTSB, FAA AND THE SANTA FE COUNTY SHERIFF WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE HERE IN ABOUT AN HOUR. THEY DID FIND A BOX THAT WAS BEEPING AND SENDING OUT SOME TYPE OF SIGNAL... BUT POLICE CAN'T YET CONFIRM IF THAT UNIT WAS INDEED THE PLANE'S TRANSPONDER. IF SO... IT'S POSSIBLE IT MAY REVEAL SOME INSTRUMENT READINGS AND OTHER PIECES OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION. REPORTING LIVE IN SANTA FE, KAYLA ANDERSON, EYEWITNESS NEWS 4 MID-DAY.
NOW. 54-YEAR-OLD RICHARD GARDNER WAS ON HIS WAY HOME FROM NEW YORK WHEN HIS PLANE WENT DOW...
