On Feb 21, 2013, a Fuerza Aérea Mexicana Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter with two aboard en route from Santa Lucía AFB was over Santa Lucía AFB, Estado de México on a training exercise when it crashed.
Two people were reported injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals.
The two aboard were later reported as fatalities.
Did this happen because of a random gust of wind? Was this an incident that was invisible or could it have been detected or predicted? You tell me. It’s tragic, whatever the circumstance.
On January 17, 2013, ( 13:50 local time), a Habilitaciones Turisticas SA CV Piper PA-31-325 Navajo #XBEZY took off from Angel Albino Corzo Intl en route to Xoxocotlán Intl. Airport in Oaxaca but crashed on takeoff.
Aboard there were a crew of two, and six passengers, three of whom were adults and three who were minors. All eight died in the crash immediately after takeoff in Chiapa de Corzo.
Witnesses said the ship had just taken off when it was hit by a gust of wind that knocked it to the ground, where it caught afire on impact.
The plane impacted the ground at Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas and caught fire, covering the airport in smoke.
The eight fatalities were the two pilots, the captain Alfonso Jimenez Racino, co-pilot Pablo Gomez, businessman Monterrosa Melchor Hernandez, his wife, two sons and two grandchildren. Melchor Hernandez Monterrosa is an entrepreneur, owner of ‘Mezcal Fandango’ and ‘Destiladora Orizaba Valley’ in Veracruz and Puebla,
??Civil Aviation, the Mexican Army, Fire, Red Cross, Secretariat of Public Safety and Civil Protection responded to the scene. The crash also started a grass fire that took some fifteen hours to put out and complicated rescue.
A cold front, clouds and air currents may have contributed to the accident. Civil Aeronautics will be investigating.
On Jan 15, 2013, a privately owned Bellanca Super Decathaón 8KCAB Registration YS-175-P was over the island of Cozumel in Mexico when it crashed, killing two aboard. Cabanas was not flying his own plane.
The aircraft, registration YS-175-P crashed near the perimeter road of Cozumel near the “Captain Eduardo Parra Toledo” at approximately 16:30 pm.
American Stunt pilot Fred Cabanas and television Extreme Sports commentator Jorge “Chori” Lopez for Televisa Deportes were aboard. Pilot Cabanas won awards at air shows and was a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Lopez was filming for his “Extreme Adrenaline” show. Cababas was performing acrobatic maneuvers at a private airport and Lopez was “…filming a documentary to promote an air show” when the plane overshot the runway, toppled trees and a fence owned by Eduardo Toledo. The crash site has been cordoned off by the military.
The family of the victims (Arturo Rivera, makeup artist Jacob Yebale, attorney Mario Macias Pacheco and hair dresser Jorge “Gigi” Armando Sanchez Vasquez) of a 43-year-old Learjet that crashed in Mexico on December 9 have filed a negligence suit against Starwood Management LLC, Rodatz Financial Group Inc., McOco Inc. and Jenni Rivera Enterprises Inc.
Jenni Rivera was killed in the crash along with the 78 year old pilot and 20 year old co-pilot, neither of whom appeared to be licensed to operate the flight under the conditions (time and altitude) they were flying.
Noticias Telemundo interviewed Christian Esquino, owner of the plane that crashed and killed Jenni Rivera. He said that his pilots told Rivera’s entourage “it was bettr not to fly overnight,” but the flight took off at 3:00 a.m.
Ten minutes later, the Learjet crashed at 600 mph.
Esquino said the pilots were in excellent health but that the head pilot might have had a heart attack. Miguel Perez was 78 years old.
U.S. commercial pilots can only fly till they are 65.
Two of Esquinos planes were seized by the government this year.
The US is assisting Mexico in the investigation.
La Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, a través de la Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC), inició las investigaciones sobre la presunta caída de la aeronave con matrícula N345MC propiedad de la empresa Starwood Management, ocurrida hoy en la madrugada, en el estado de Nuevo León.
El avión LearJet salió de Monterrey a las 03:15 horas y tenía como destino el aeropuerto de Toluca. La aeronave perdió contacto con el radar a una distancia de 61.8 millas de Monterrey y en las coordenadas 24,45,50 N 99,52,18 W.
Se inició el protocolo de búsqueda correspondiente a las 04:40 horas con la ayuda de dos helicópteros y un avión.
Entre los desaparecidos se encuentran los pilotos Miguel Pérez y Alejandro Torres y los pasajeros, cuyo nombre quedó registrado como: Jenny Dolores Rivera Saavedra, Alberto Rivera Saavedra, Mario Macias, Jacob Llenares y Gerardo N.
La Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes reitera que continuará con el curso de las investigaciones.
What: Learjet 25 en route from Monterrey to Toluca
Where: Los Tejocotes
When: December 9 20123:30
Who: 7 aboard
Update:
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 345MC Make/Model: LJ25 Description: LEARJET 25
Date: 12/09/2012 Time: 0630
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA, THE 7 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, 61 MILES FROM MONTEREY, MEXICO
INJURY DATA
Total Fatal: 7
# Crew: 7 Fat: 7
NTSB Assists Government of Mexico in Aviation Accident
December 10
Washington – The NTSB is dispatching investigators to assist the government of Mexico in its investigation of the crash of a Learjet LJ25.
On December 9, 2012 at about 3:30 a.m. local time, the airplane crashed about 70 miles south of Monterrey, Mexico, due to unknown circumstances while en route to Mexico City, Mexico. All 7 persons on board were fatally injured including Latin singer Jenni Rivera.
NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman has designated David Helson as the traveling U.S. Accredited Representative. Mr. Helson will be assisted from NTSB headquarters by investigative staff specializing in airplane airworthiness and flight crew operations as well as advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Learjet.
What: Learjet 25 en route from Monterrey to Toluca
Where: Los Tejocotes
When: December 9 20123:30
Who: 7 aboard
Why: The 300 meter debris field of a plane wreckage discovered near the town of Iturbide in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental is believed to be that of the plane taken by Rivera’s party to Toluca. Forensic experts recovered Rivera’s California Driver License and the Mexican passport of Miguel Perez Soto, confirming the hypothesis.
Jenni Rivera, “La Diva de la Banda” is from Long Beach, California and recently divorced former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza.
The wreckage was found with no survivors.
Rest in peace.
What: Learjet 25 en route from Monterrey to Toluca
Where: Los Tejocotes
When: December 9 20123:30
Who: 7 aboard
Why: After a Saturday night concert in Monterrey, singer Jenni Rivera took off in a Learjet with a plane crew and her makeup artist, publicist and lawyer. but she did not arrive in Toluca at 4:30.
ATC lost track of the learjet 10 minutes and 61.8 miles into the flight at coordinates 99,52,18 24,45,50 North West. The plane has been reported missing in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon.
Those missing are listed as: Miguel Perez and Alejandro Torres, and passengers Jenni Rivera, Alberto Rivera Saavedra, Mario Macias, Jacob Llenares and one more person identified as “Gerardo N.”
Newspaper reports that plane is owned by Starwood Management. A Learjet reportedly owned by Starwood was deregistered as of 07/31/2012 and exported to Mexico. However this is the record of N345MC, the plane reported that the singer’s entourage was in.
Starwood management was in US court regarding forfeiture of aircraft property. See Starwood Management LLC v. United States Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration
A Learjet with Rivera and her crew aboard departed the Monterrey International Airport at 03.15 (15.09 GMT)
Two helicopters and a plane began searching at 4.40 pm.
What: Armada de México Fuerza Aeronaval Zlín 242L
Where: La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
When: Dec 5, 2012
Who: 2 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: The flight departed from the Naval aviation school in La Paz; it was a training flight. The two Mexican aviators aboard, Mexican Navy flight instructor Lieutenant Commander Adrian Ignacio Gonzalez Vargas, and Mexican Air Force flight instructor Major Alfonso Barajas Jesus Verduzco, died in the crash.
The Moravan Zlin 242L single engine aircraft crashed at 11:30 a.m., 36 kilometers southeast of La Paz
Discovery, Dragonfly Film and Television Productions deliberately crashed a $450,000 unmanned 727 in the Sonoran Desert of Baja California, Mexico south of Mexicali, Mexico. The plane was equipped with crash dummies, scientific sensors and experiments. Among other things such as creating a sensational topic for the Curiosity series, the crash is postulated as a study the crashworthiness of the aircraft’s airframe and cabin.
Pilots parachuted from the plane minutes before it was remote-controlled to a crash.
The video called “part of a scientific experiment for an unprecedented international television documentary” was captured by 19 cameras inside the plane and 2 on helicopters outside. The film will be presented as an episode of Curiosity.
What: Gobierno del Edo de Michoacan Bell 407
Where: lago Zirahuén Mexico
When: Sept 18, 2012
Who: 5 aboard, 1 fatality
Why: The Helicopter was filming a promotional tourism video when it crashed in Lake Zirahuen. Four aboard were injured. There was one fatality.
The aircraft became entangled with a tension wire, used as ziplining.
Despite the rumor, no members of the cast of “The Academy’ television show were aboard. The rumor appeared apparently after tweets immediately following the accident.
The injured were reported as Enrique Barragán, Carlos Vela, Pablo Gabriel Angulo and Luis Fernando Gutiérrez. Daniel Martinez was initially reported as missing, then later as a fatality.
THe helicopter is owned by the State of Michoacan.
What: Eolo AgustaWestland AW109SP
Where: Cerro Alpino, Mexico
When: July 28, 2012, 23:40
Who: 3 aboard, 3 fatalities
Why: The businessman and son of Fidel Herrera left the town of Atlacomulco after a meal with the former governor of the State of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto and died in a chopper crash.
Toluca Airport lost contact with the helicopter an hour prior to the accident.
The pilot Miguel Angel Rodriguez Lopez, co-pilot Rodolfo Caballero and the passenger, Armando Hinojosa-Garcia, were killed in the town of Juquipilco when the Augusta 109 chopper they were in crashed close to the Jiquipilco-Temoaya road, in the State of Mexico, North of Mexico City.
Search patrols located the wreckage early Sunday morning in a place known as “Hill of Alpine”
A Civil Aeronautics investigation is underway.
As always, we offer condolences to the families.
What: Cessna
Where: La Bufadora, Baja California, Mexico
When: July 17, 2012
Who: 2 aboard
Why: Rumors that a search is being coordinated for a Cessna that disappeared into the sea are false. The plane that had been flying low over the ocean while filming made a safe landing at Ensenada airport. Witnesses thought the plane crashed into the ocean and called authorities–but there was no crash, no accident, and only a safe landing.
What: Viva Aerobus Boeing 737 300 en route from Cancun to Tuxtla Gutierre, Mexico
Where: Villahermosa Mexico
When: May 27 2012
Who: 108 aboard
Why: After a successful takeoff, the plane depressurized. Pilots diverted to Villahermosa where they made a safe landing.
Mexican news reported that the plane was struck by lightning, and that when the pilots made a safe diversion and landing to Villahermosa, the plane was repaired.
Passengers were reluctant to re-board but the flight continued at 19:15 hours on the same plane, after repairs. At the time of takeoff, there were still storms in the mountainous region of Chiapas.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographerRicardo Morales
What: Aeromexico Connect Embraer ERJ-145 en route from Veracruz to Monterrey
Where: Tampico
When: Mar 17th 2012
Who: 48 passengers and 3 crew
Why: The flight developed a cabin pressure problem. As the aircraft (and oxygen masks) descended and temps in the plane ascended, pilots diverted to Tampico. Passengers responded with alarm but were reassured by the flight crew.
The pilots made a safe landing in Tampico.
Passengers disembarked, and were provided an alternative flight.
What: Policía Federal Rockwell-Gulfstream 695 Jetprop Commander 980
Where: El Refugio en el Municipio de Acatic, Mexico
When: Feb 21, 2012, 21:00 pm
Who: 3 aboard, 3 fatalities
Why: In the town of Refugio Padrone, the Jetprop Commander 980 crashed. The names of the three victims have not been released.
State Unit of Civil Protection and Fire Jalisco (UEPCBJ), the Attorney General of the State (PGJE) are investigating.
What: Fuerza Aerea Mexicana Aérospatiale AS 332L Super Puma
Where: Temamatla , Edo de Mexico
When: Nov 11, 2011, around noon
Who: 9 aboard, 9 fatalities
Why: A Mexican government helicopter en route from Mexico City to Cuernavaca carrying 9 passengers crashed, killing everyone aboard.
Those aboard included José Francisco Blake Mora, Secretary of the Interior, Felipe Zamora Castro, Legal Affairs and Secretary of the Interior Ministry DH, Jose Alfredo Garcia Medina, director of social communication Interior Ministry, Diana Miriam Hayton Sanchez, technical secretary of the office, and Major Rene de Leon, Lt. Col. Philip Bacio Cortes, Jorge Luis Juarez Gomez, Ramon Escobar Segundo and Pedro Teninete Becerra.
The chopper was en route to a prosecutors meeting. It went down in heavy cloud cover, so weather is considered to be a factor. Mexico’s No. 2 official, Francisco Blake Mora, who embodied Mexican government’s get-tough attitude, is one of the victims of the crash. Mora been a key figure in Mexico’s battle with drug cartels and he oversaw disaster response, like the pipeline explosion in San Martin Texmelucan in 2010. He is the 2nd interior secretary in this administration to die in an air accident.
What: Gobierno del Estado de Mexico Agusta A109S Grand
Where: Peréz Valenzuela (street), Del Carmen district, in Coyacán, Mexico
When: Oct 21, 2011
Who: 4 aboard, 2 fatalities
Why: If you imagine going about your normal daily life, you do not expect a chopper to fall in the street, crush your cars and slam into your house.
A chopper owned by the government of Mexico fell in the streets of Coyoacán, between Guillermo Pérez Valenzuela and Avenida Universidad, landing on two vehicles and striking the wall of a house. Because of a fuel spill, the area was cordoned off.
The chopper is an Agusta A-109-S Grand, XC-EDM
Initial coverage was confusing and indicated no fatalities, then three fatalities, then two fatalities with identities unknown.
Eventually two people were confirmed to be deceased, and two as survivors, but the identities took some time to sort out. Two names were released: Juan Estevan Rodriguez (Ruiz Rodriguez) and Julius Caesar Maturano Gomez were reported to be the fatalities—that is, one of the pilots, and the assistant of the secretary of Metropolitan development. We can assume this is correct because of reports of officials attending the funerals in #7 Rue insurgentes in Sapotian neighborhood, Santa Maria Cuevas, Zumpango.
Fernando Alberto Garcia Cuevas (the government official) and the surviving pilot were rushed to Hospital Ángeles Pedregal by emergency responders. Cuevas suffered bleeding of a kidney, which is being addressed by catheter embolization. The surviving pilot, Juan Manuel Ramírez Rivera will be undergoing surgery for broken vertebra in his chest, when he is stabilized.
The pilots attempted to land and save the lives of their passengers and we acknowledge their heroic effort.
Our sources have one photo of the chopper in question:
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Luis Tena Orozco – AeroImagenes de Mexico
There was significant confusion in the reportage, so that based on reported coverage, all I can say is this:
There may have been a flaw in the rotor of the aircraft, though it is not clear if it was something that the pilots had been informed of prior to the flight, or if there was a failure during the flight. There was also a statement published that the chopper fell out of the sky, and was seen plummeting, and that the rotor stopped because the hasp detached (or did not detach) from the main rotor. I am sure the truth come out in the investigation; it is too soon to know what happened, but if any parties in the know want to comment or make corrections, we welcome the input.
As always, condolences to the families of Rodriguez and Gomez, and best wishes to the recovery of the injured.
Click to view full size photo
Contact photographer Paul Chandler
What: Cessna 210G Centurion #N5894FN en route from Puebla to Villahermosa, Tabasco.
Where: Veracruz Mexico
When: October 23, 2011, 10.00 local tim
Who: 2 fatalities
Why: Over the town of Angel R. Cabada, the plane was flying in a westerly direction, made a turn and then exploded in the air. Documents found on the bodies belong to a married couple, Reggie and Andrea Henkart . The occupants were employees of U.S. company Agfa Phoenix.
Rescue services responded to the call but there was not much they could do for the victims but secure the scene.
There was a slight rain at the time of the event, and the location is one that is difficult to access in a sugar cane field and tropical rainforest. The two aboard were Americans.
What: Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee
Where: Jesus Ernesto Lozano Airport Chihuahua Mexico
When: Sept 29, 2011
Who: 4 aboard, 4 fatalities
Why: Four people were killed in a plane that crashed in Valle de Allende. The passengers were found beside the plane. The front of the plane was gone.
Valles Alejandro Medrano, 23, student
Jasmine Meza Gabriela Nuñez, 20, student
Marcos Moreno Angel Carrillo, 23, farmer
Gabriel Edgar Campos Abes, 24 pilot
They were from Jimenez, and two were students of Centro Cultural Universitario.
They crashed on land belonging to Capitán Ernesto Lozano, who heard the crash, and arrived in time to find two dead passengers, and two dying.
The cause of the accident is unknown. Investigators were called about the crash at 10:15 Sept 29, 2011
What: VivaAerobus Boeing 737-300 en route from San Jose Cabo to Monterrey
Where: San Jose Cabo
When: Aug 21st 2011
Why: On takeoff, flight systems indicated there was a cargo fire.
The flight returned to San Jose Cabo where it made a safe landing. Examination proved there was no fire, and the flight was delayed, but continued on to Monterrey.
What: Mexico’s Atty General’s Office Bell 412 helicopter#HFJ XC
Where: Veracruz, Mexico
When: December 8, 2010, 16:30
Who: 4 fatalities, 11 aboard
Why: While en route to Villa Aldama prison, the helicopter, carrying Pilot, copilot, six federal police, a prosecutor and two detainees crashed in bad weather, strong winds, low visibility. There were three fatalities on the scene, three injured. Later it was confirmed 4 guards were killed, the two pilots are in serious condition.
What: Fuerza Aérea Mexicana Antonov 32B
Where: Monterrey-General Mariano Escobedo International Airport, Monterrey Mexico
When: November 24, 2010, 14:36
Who: three officials and two crew members
Why: The Air Squadron 301 plane(#FAM-3101) attempted a takeoff from Monterrey-General Mariano Escobedo International Airport. The flight was to a military air base in Santa Lucia. After takeoff from runway 11, the plane crashed right of runway 16/34. The flight missed striking two jets.
The Mexican Department of Defense mourns Miguel Ángel García Posada, José passenger Carmen González Peña, the rider Victor Manuel Gabriel Martinez, Alberto Valenzuela electrical and mechanical Blanco José Luis Morales Hernández.
The original press release is below:
Lomas de Sotelo, D.F. a 24 de noviembre del 2010.
Se accidentó aeronave de la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana en Monterrey, N.L.
Lomas de Sotelo, D.F. a 24 de noviembre del 2010.- La Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional informa, que aproximadamente a las 1436 horas de esta fecha, el avión Antonov matrícula 3101 perteneciente a la Fuerza Aérea Mexicana, se accidentó en el aeropuerto internacional de la ciudad de Monterrey, N.L.
Dicha aeronave se encontraba destacada en el Escuadrón Aéreo 301 ubicado en la Base Aérea Militar No. 1, en Santa Lucía, Estado de México y cubría un vuelo logístico de Monterrey, N.L., con destino a la Base Aérea indicada.
El percance ocurrió al efectuar el despegue y lamentablemente fallecieron tres oficiales y dos elementos de tropa, integrantes de la tripulación.
El personal de Generales, Jefes, Oficiales y Tropa del Ejército y Fuerza Aérea Mexicanos, se suman a las expresiones de condolencias de nuestro Comandante Supremo, Maestro FELIPE CALDERÓN HINOJOSA, Presidente de la República, dirigidas a los familiares de nuestros compañeros de armas que perdieron la vida en el cumplimiento de su deber, a quienes se les proporcionarán los apoyos correspondientes y las prestaciones sociales a que tienen derecho.
Click to view full size photo at Airliners.net
Contact photographer Josh May
What: Global Air Boeing 737-200 en route from from Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta
Where: Puerto Vallarta
When: Nov 4th 2010 1 p.m.
Who: 99 passengers and 5 crew
Why: While on approach to Puerto Vallarta, the plane’s nose gear would not extend, in spite of several flybys where the tower verified the nose gear was not extended.
The plane eventually made a belly landing on foam with emergency services on standby. Pilot Jorge Luz Campos landed the plane with no injuries.
What: Heliservicios Campeche Bell 212 helicopter en route from Cd del Carmen en route to Minatitlan in Veracruz
Where: Las Choapas, Minatitlan Mexico
When: Oct 15 2010
Who: 8 aboard
Why: Witnesses say the helicopter caught fire while still in the air.
The Heliservicios Campeche helicopter was transporting Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) employees at the time of the crash. Two pilots and six Pemex technicians were killed. Their bodies have been recovered.
