Michoacán

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Morelia-General Francisco Mujica

Schedule:

Cuernavaca - Guadalajara

MSN:

421B-0336

YOM:

1973

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Cuernavaca to Guadalajara, while in cruising altitude, the pilot informed ATC about technical problems with the right engine. He was cleared to divert to Morelia Airport for an emergency landing. On final approach to runway 05, the twin engine aircraft crashed in an open field located about 2 km short of runway. All six occupants evacuated with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an IAI-1124 Westwind near El Devanador: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 2005 at 1537 LT

Type of aircraft:

IAI 1124 Westwind

Operator:

Registration:

XC-COL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Government

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Toluca - Colima

MSN:

279

YOM:

1979

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4350

Copilot / Total flying hours:

6597

Aircraft flight hours:

8523

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Toluca Airport at 1516LT on a flight to Colima, carrying five members of the Colima Government and two pilots. Fifteen minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 16,000 feet, the crew informed ATC about control problems and was cleared to divert to Morelia Airport via radial 160. Shortly later, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a wooded and mountainous terrain located near El Devanador. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Mario Torres, pilot,
Germán Ascencio, copilot.
Passengers:
Gustavo Vázquez Montes, Governor of the State of Colima,
Roberto Preciado Cuevas, delegate secretary for Tourism,
Ignacio Peralta, delegate secretary for Economy,
Luis Barreda Cedillo, delegate secretary for Finances,
Guillermo Díaz, Director of Tourism.

Probable cause:

Sudden descent during cruise flight and loss of control of the aircraft due to flight control problems. The following findings were identified:
- A possible failure of the horizontal stabilizer actuator,
- A possible abrupt change in the attitude of the aircraft due to the position of the centre of gravity,
- Possible improper crew actions to resolve the emergency,
- A possible crew neglect of position and indication of flight controls.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-31 in Uruapan: 18 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1999 at 1903 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-9

Operator:

Registration:

XA-TKN

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tijuana – Guadalajara – Uruapan – Mexico City

MSN:

47418

YOM:

1970

Flight number:

TEJ725

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

58000

Aircraft flight cycles:

59000

Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a service from Tijuana to Mexico City with intermediate stops in Guadalajara and Uruapan, carrying 13 passengers and a crew of five. It departed Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport runway 20 at 1859LT on the last leg to Mexico City. After liftoff, the crew was cleared to climb to 5,000 feet and while at an altitude of about 1,000 metres, the aircraft adopted a high angle of attack then stalled, entered a dive and crashed in an avocado plantation located 5,3 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 18 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of an over-rotation on takeoff and a climb with a very pronounced angle, which caused the loss of control, with spatial disorientation (loss of the horizon), in a flight operation by instruments (IFR), in which, according to the crew, there was a possible failure of asymmetry indication in the leading edge flaps (slats), with the crew neglecting to control the flight of the aircraft.
The following contributing factors were identified:
- Inadequate preparation of information for instrument take-off (IFR) from Uruapan airport and failure to adhere to the operating procedures of the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) Manual.
- Failure to perform checklist procedures for the operation of the aircraft in its different phases.
- Loss of external vision (spatial disorientation), aggravated by turning on the cockpit lights, before the takeoff run.
- Inadequate procedure for the rotation of the aircraft during take-off, dragging the tail skid on the runway
- Angle of climb greater than that established in the aircraft Operations Manual.
- Lack of cockpit resource management (CRM).

Final Report:

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 Commando in Huetamo de Núñez

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1997 at 0330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

N1442V

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Illegal (smuggling)

Survivors:

Swearingen SA226 Metro II

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

22503

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was probably involved in an illegal flight when it crashed and burnt while trying to land in a remote area located near Huetamo de Núñez. No one was found in the wreckage and it was later confirmed that the registration N1442V was false.

Crash of a Swearingen SA226AC Metro II in Uruapan

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1997

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

XA-HAO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lázaro Cárdenas – Uruapan

MSN:

TC-356

YOM:

1980

Location:

Country:

Region:

Swearingen SA226 Metro II

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown at Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport, the crew started the braking procedure and activated the reverse thrust systems when control was lost. The aircraft veered off runway to the right, lost a landing gear and came to rest. All 12 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Swearingen SA226AC Metro II in Uruapan: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1994 at 1845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

XA-SLU

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lázaro Cárdenas – Uruapan

MSN:

TC-401

YOM:

1981

Location:

Country:

Region:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

7830

Captain / Total hours on type:

1049.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2373

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1508

Aircraft flight hours:

17737

Circumstances:

While descending to Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility due to the night and rain falls. ATC instructed the crew to carry out an instrument approach but the pilots insisted for a visual approach to runway 02. Because the crew was unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, he decided to initiate a go-around procedure, completed a right turn and attempted a second approach few minutes later that was also abandoned for the same reasons. This time, the captain initiated a turn to the left in an attempt to make a visual approach to runway 20, which was non compliant with the published procedures. Shortly later, while at an altitude of 1,200 metres, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 5,9 km northwest of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all nine occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the crew to comply with the approach and go-around published procedures. The lack of visibility due to the night and rain was considered as a contributing factor.

Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2B-27 Islander in Uruapan: 9 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1992 at 0815 LT

Type of aircraft:

Britten-Norman Islander

Operator:

Registration:

XA-RML

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Uruapan - Apatzingan

MSN:

864

YOM:

1978

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

798

Captain / Total hours on type:

194.00

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The pilot attempted to return when the aircraft stalled and crashed near the airport. All nine occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was overloaded with a total weight above MTOW.

Crash of a Learjet 35A in Cumuatillo: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 2, 1992

Type of aircraft:

Learjet 35

Operator:

Transamérica Táxi Aéreo

Registration:

PT-OEF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Illegal (smuggling)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cali - Cumuatillo

MSN:

35-102

YOM:

1972

Location:

Cumuatillo-Pajacuarán

Country:

Region:

Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew attempted a night landing at Cumuatillo-Pajacuarán Airport that was not equipped with any facilities, tower or lighting systems. The aircraft approached in a wrong position relating to the runway direction and struck the ground near the runway threshold in a near perpendicular heading. It went out of control, crashed and came to rest near a road, broken in several pieces. Both pilots were killed. A load of cocaine was found among the debris.

Probable cause:

The crew was completing an illegal flight from Cali, Colombia, carrying a load of cocaine, and attempted to land by night on an airport that was not suitable for such aircraft and operations. No flight plan was filed and the crew entered illegally the Mexican airspace.

Crash of a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream I in Zacapu

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1990

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

XB-ESO

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: