Crash of a Beechcraft 65-B80 Queen Air in Tula: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1966 at 1340 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
XC-DAH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Guadalajara – Mexico City
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft christened 'El Caminero' departed Guadalajara Airport at 1028LT bound for Mexico City, carrying five passengers and two crew members on behalf of the Ministry of Public Works. While approaching the city of Tula, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all seven occupants, among them the politician Fernando Espinosa Gutiérrez, engineer.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan near Cozumel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1964
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BHB-1502
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cozumel – Mexico City
MSN:
3953
YOM:
1943
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances few minutes after its takeoff from Cozumel Airport, bound for Mexico City. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the four occupants was found. The wreckage was found on 2 December 1970 in the region of Cozumel.

Crash of a Douglas DC-8-21 in New York: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 19, 1961 at 2017 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-XAX
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
New York – Mexico City
MSN:
45432
YOM:
1960
Flight number:
AM401
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
97
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
15210
Captain / Total hours on type:
46.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
8260
Copilot / Total hours on type:
125
Aircraft flight hours:
529
Circumstances:
The first approximate 6,200 feet of takeoff roll was observed by control tower personnel, visually, until the aircraft was lost to view by obscuring snow, approximately 3,800 feet from the control tower. They stated that at that time the aircraft had not taken off or rotated. Another tower controller observed the aircraft by airport surface-detection *** radar from the start of its roll to the eastern end of runway 7R, where it disappeared from view. A few seconds later he observed a bright orange flash on the sky northeast of the airport. He could not tell if the aircraft left the runway. Emergency procedures were started immediately by the controllers and an unsuccessful attempt was made to contact the flight on the departure radio frequency. Captain Poe was the only survivor of the four cockpit occupants. He stated as follows: The checklist was accomplished normally. The runway condition was good and everything apparently occurred in a routine manner through the 100-knot time check when the first officer called out "***" (Spanish for 100). Upon reaching approximately 130 knots (the V1 speed) the first officer called out V1 and VR rapid succession. The aircraft was then rotated quickly and somewhat excessively. Poe did not see the airspeed go over 130 knots and as rotation started he saw the airspeed start to drop back quite rapidly to about 110 knots. At this time the Aeronaves captain called or pointed to the airspeed indicator. Poe felt that the aircraft could not become airborne under these conditions and that the runway remaining was not long enough to put the nose back down to start the takeoff again from that speed. His only choice, so he stated, was to try to get the aircraft stopped on the runway. Poe unfastened his safety belt, stood to gauge progress down the runway, moved forward, shoved the throttles forward briefly, noted a normal and uniform response from the engine instruments (the EPR gauges were reading normally from 2.52 to 2.54), and then pulled the throttles full back. Captain Gonzales "immediately" pulled the reverse throttles back into reverse thrust and used wheel brakes. Poe extended the spoilers and then sat down on the jump seat without refastening his seat belt. He believes that the aircraft did not take off Whether it did or not wall be discussed later in this report. Poe's actions would have taken about three seconds, an shown by later test. The aircraft continued ahead the full length of the 10,000-foot runway, beyond it, through a blast fence, 3 catching on fire, through the airport boundary fence, and across Rockaway Boulevard where it struck an automobile injuring the driver and sole occupant. After going through the blast fence, many parts were shed before the aircraft came to rest in flames 830 feet beyond the end of the runway. Emergency vehicles from the airport and of the New York Fire Department were quickly started for the scene. Although impeded somewhat by weather conditions, they reached it within about six minutes and extinguished the fire. Evacuation and rescue of the occupants had already been effected in a total time of about five minutes, although most persons were out of the wreckage and away from the fire site in half this time. Many of the survivors were taken to hospital in privately owned vehicles. Destruction of the aircraft was extensive.
Probable cause:
The Board concludes that the aircraft did become airborne. Investigation of the accident has pointed out that Captain Poe erroneously believed that if the speed of rotation were appreciably below the calculated VR speed, a longer takeoff run would result. The Board concludes that the takeoff was discontinued as a result of the action of the check pilot, who was not seated in a pilot seat, in reaching forward without warning and pulling the throttles back. This action caused power to be decreased or all four engines.
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the unnecess discontinuing of the takeoff by the check pilot, who was not in either pilot seat. The contributing factors in this accident were the marginally poor weather, snow on the runway, and the possibility of the Pitot head heat not having been on.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-53-DO in Juchitepec: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1960
Operator:
Registration:
XA-HUS
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Tapachula – Mexico City
MSN:
7388
YOM:
1942
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew encountered thick fog while approaching Mexico City Airport. The airplane struck a hill located near Juchitepec, about 40 km south of Mexico City Airport, and crashed. All three crew members and five passengers were killed while ten other occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL in Mexico City: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1955
Registration:
XC-ABW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mexico City – Acapulco
MSN:
19217
YOM:
1943
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Mexico City-Benito Juarez Airport, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, stalled and crashed into the lake Texcoco. A crew member and three passengers were killed, among them the Mexican architect Carlos Lazo Barreiro. All 14 other occupants were injured. The flight was completed on behalf of the Ministry of Communications and Public Works (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Obras Públicas - SCOP).
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after liftoff.

Crash of a Lockheed 10E Electra in Mexico City: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1938 at 0755 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XA-BAU
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mexico City – Mérida
MSN:
1041
YOM:
1937
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The takeoff procedure was started in poor visibility due to foggy conditions. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft deviated from the runway centerline and immediately after rotation, followed a wrong heading. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft hit the hill of Peñon de los Baños located less than a km north of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to the foggy weather conditions in which it had occurred, in combination with human error. Specifically, the highly experienced pilot of XA-BAU had proceeded with the flight despite the fact that aircraft were not being authorized to take off due to the poor visibility. During the ground roll, the Electra had deviated to the left of the runway, and after becoming airborne assumed a heading that took it towards the rapidly rising terrain. There was no evidence of significant technical failure in the aircraft that could have factored in the crash.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Mexico City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1933 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
13
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Mexico City - Mexico City
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a local training flight out from Mexico City Airport. In unknown circumstances, the single engine airplane registered 13 and named Chiapas collided with a second DH.4B of the Mexican Air Force that was engaged in a same type of mission. Registered 11 and named Tabasco, the second aircraft was also carrying one pilot. Following the collision, both airplanes dove into the ground and crashed in the district of Jardín Balbuena, southwest of the airfield. Both aircraft were destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Mexico City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1933 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
11
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Mexico City - Mexico City
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a local training flight out from Mexico City Airport. In unknown circumstances, the single engine airplane registered 11 and named Tabasco collided with a second DH.4B of the Mexican Air Force that was engaged in a same type of mission. Registered 13 and named Chiapas, the second aircraft was also carrying one pilot. Following the collision, both airplanes dove into the ground and crashed in the district of Jardín Balbuena, southwest of the airfield. Both aircraft were destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed 5 Vega in Ixtlahuaca de Rayón: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1931 at 0730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mexico City – Ciudad Juárez
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The single engine airplane departed Mexico City Airport at 0700LT on a flight to Ciudad Juárez, carrying four passengers and one pilot. About half an hour into the flight, the aircraft went out of control and crashed near Ixtlahuaca de Rayón, about 80 km northwest of Mexico Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.