Mexico City

The single engine aircraft was completing a flight from Mexico City to Cali, carrying five passengers and one pilot on behalf of the Cristina Adventista Congregation. While approaching León-Fanor Urroz Airport, the aircraft crashed by a wooded area. All six occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Following an uneventful flight from San Luis Potosí, the crew was cleared to the MATEO VOR and for an ILS/DME approach to runway 05R at Mexico-Benito Juarez Intl Airport, then was instructed by ATC to increase their speed to 220 knots. The Learjet was trailing a Boeing 767-300 (Mexicana Flight 1692 from Buenos Aires), which was instructed to decrease speed to 160 knots to maintain separation with a preceding Airbus A318. At 18:41 a further instruction was given to slow down to an indicated airspeed of 150 knots. At 18:42 the Boeing 767 crossed MATEO VOR at a ground speed of 224 knots. The Learjet was following at 8 nautical miles (NM) at a ground speed of 272 knots. At 18:44 the controller instructed Mexicana Flight 1692 to slow down to the minimum approach speed. At that time, the Learjet 45 was crossing the MATEO VOR with a ground speed of 262 knots, approximately 5.7 NM behind. The controller then instructed the Learjet crew to reduce their airspeed to 180 knots. This was acknowledged but it took 16 seconds for the crew to take action. Separation between the Boeing 767 and Learjet had decreased to 3.8 NM and the Learjet entered the wake turbulence of the 767. Control was lost and the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, crashing on the Monte Pelvoux and Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca Avenues. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 9 occupants were killed as well as 7 people on the ground. Some buildings were damaged, about 20 cars were destroyed and 40 people on the ground were injured, some seriously. Among the passengers were:
Juan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo, Interior Minister,
José Luis Santiago Vasconcelos, General Attorney,
Miguel Monterrubio Cubas, Director for Social Communication.

The approach to Tijuana-General Abelardo L. Rodríguez Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with clouds down to 180 metres. On short final, the captain realized his position was not correct and made several correction but inefficiently. The aircraft landed hard, right main gear first. On impact, both tires on the right main gear burst. The aircraft went out of control, veered to right and came to rest. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While approaching Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport, the crew was cleared to descent from FL150 to FL120. In poor weather conditions, the crew continued the descent below FL120 when, at an altitude of 10,130 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Xocotlihuipa located 30 km east of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

On approach to Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport, the crew was cleared to descend from 11,000 to 9,000 feet when the aircraft struck tree tops and crashed on the slope of Mt Lilio located about 24 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all eight occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the mountain was shrouded by clouds. For unknown reasons, the crew was approaching the airport at a too low altitude.

While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain shrouded by clouds and located about 65 km west of Mexico City. A pilot and a passenger survived while 19 other occupants were killed.

The single engine airplane departed Mexico City on an official mission on behalf of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While flying at low height under VFR mode, visibility decreased and while completing a left turn, the airplane struck trees and obstacles and crashed in flames in a canyon. All three occupants were killed.

The airplane was chartered by the government to carry a delegation of 15 journalists from Mexico City to Poza Rica to cover the presidential campaign of the candidate Luis Echeverría Álvarez. On approach to Poza Rica, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and was unable to locate the runway. The captain decided to find a hole in the clouds and started the descent when the airplane struck the Vega Hill located six km east of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and a passenger (Jesús Kramsky) was seriously injured while 18 other occupants were killed.
Passenger list:
Adolfo Olmedo Luna (Ovations), †
Mario Rojas Cedeño (El Sol de Mexico), †
Hernán Porragas (El Sol de Mexico), †
José Zárate Droit (El Sol de Mexico), †
Lorenzo B. Hernández (El Sol de Mexico), †
José Falconi C. (El Heraldo de México), †
Jesús Kramsky (El Heraldo de México),
Ismael Casasola T. (El Heraldo de México), †
Eduardo Quiroz G. (El Heraldo de México), †
Rafael Moya R. (El Heraldo de México), †
Ruben Ochoa Porras (Fans), †
Rodolfo Martínez (La Prensa), †
Jesús Figueroa M. B. (La Prensa), †
Jaime Gonzalez H. (Excelsior), †
Miguel de los Santos (Agencia Pimsa). †

This was the inaugural flight from Aguascalientes to Mexico City for Aerovias Rojas. While approaching Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport from the north, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the top of a hill located near Villa del Carbón. The wreckage was found 55 km northwest of Mexico Airport and all 18 occupants were killed.

On final approach to Mérida-Licenciado Manuel Crecencio Rejon Airport, the four engine aircraft stalled and crashed few dozen yards short of runway threshold. All 29 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.