Crash of a Douglas DC-3-178 in Ciudad Alemán

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
XC-CFE
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
1551
YOM:
1936
Location:
Ciudad Alemán-General Miguel Alemán
Veracruz
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL in Melchor Ocampo: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Aircraft Charters
Registration:
N163J
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Laredo - Fresnillo
MSN:
19402
YOM:
1944
Location:
Melchor Ocampo
Nuevo León
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Laredo to Fresnillo, carrying a load of bottle of mercury. En route, the airplane went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances near Melchor Ocampo. Both pilots were killed. According to the Mexican Authorities, the flight was illegal.
Final Report:

Crash of a Convair CV-240-2 in Poza Rica: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Convair CV-240
Operator:
Registration:
XC-DOK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Mexico City - Poza Rica
MSN:
71
YOM:
1948
Location:
Poza Rica
Veracruz
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
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). †
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 520 in Camalú

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1969 at 0832 LT
Type of aircraft:
Rockwell Aero Commander 520
Operator:
Pacific Interconnect
Registration:
N520X
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Camalú - El Arco
MSN:
520-83
YOM:
1953
Location:
Camalú
Baja California
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2900
Captain / Total hours on type:
60.00
Circumstances:
Struck an object while taking off from Camalú Airstrip. The aircraft veered off runway and crashed. All six occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-64 in Mexico City: 27 killed

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1969 at 1720 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
XA-SEJ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Chicago - Mexico City
MSN:
19255/331
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
MX801
Location:
Mexico City-Benito Juarez
Federal District of Mexico City
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
115
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
27
Circumstances:
On final approach to runway 23L at Mexico City-Benito Juárez Airport, the three engine airplane lost height and struck the ground about 1,5 km short of runway threshold. It bounced and became airborne again when the nose gear and the forward fuselage struck a railway embankment. Out of control, the airplane crashed and broke into several pieces near the runway threshold. 80 people were wounded while 15 others were uninjured. Five crew members and 22 passengers were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty due to negligence on part of the technicians in charge of the aircraft maintenance. Investigations revealed that at the time of the accident, the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was not properly installed and was unserviceable. It was later reported that the technicians failed to follow the published procedures regarding the FDR installation process. No Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was on board at the time of the accident as the same technicians did not reinstall it prior to the flight. In such conditions, the airplane was unairworthy.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-6
Operator:
Registration:
XA-MOO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
42877/18
YOM:
1947
Location:
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Chiapas
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing for unknown reason. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Boeing 727-64 in Monterrey: 79 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1969 at 0842 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 727-100
Operator:
Registration:
XA-SEL
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Mexico City - Monterrey
MSN:
19256/355
YOM:
1967
Flight number:
MX704
Location:
Monterrey
Nuevo León
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
72
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
79
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Mexico City, the crew started the descent to Monterrey-General Mariano Escobido Airport. In a visibility reduced by heavy rain falls, the crew initiated a turn to the left to intercept the glide. After passing over the Monterrey VOR, the aircraft descended with a rate of 1,500 feet per minute when, at a speed of 250 knots, it struck the slope of Cerro del Fraile located some 23 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 79 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found at an altitude of 1,800 meters few hours later.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew who initiated a turn to the left instead to the right as mentioned in the published procedures. At the time of the accident, the aircraft speed was too high, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Beechcraft 18 in Tepic: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 18
Operator:
Transportes Aéreos de Nayarit (TANSA)
Registration:
XA-TED
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Tepic-Amado Nervo
Nayarit
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Tepic Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed, killing all nine occupants.

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor in Chihuahua: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1969 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
Operator:
Aero Laguna
Registration:
XB-ROI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Aerial photography
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Chihuahua - Chihuahua
MSN:
AF-859
YOM:
1954
Location:
Chihuahua
Chihuahua
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in an aerial photography mission, carrying two pilots and five photographers/filmmaker. En route, the twin engine aircraft collided in unknown circumstances with a North American T-6 Texan carrying two pilots. Both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in the district of Comarca Lagunera, in Chihuahua. All nine occupants in both aircraft were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL near Soto la Marina: 26 killed

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
XA-SAE
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Reynosa - Tampico
MSN:
20554
YOM:
1944
Location:
Soto la Marina
Tamaulipas
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
26
Circumstances:
While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located west of Soto la Marina. The wreckage was found few hours later in the El Diablo canyon. All 26 occupants have been killed.
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