2008 Mexico City plane crash
Cordoned-off crash site with burned buildings in background, with Mexican Police guarding the area
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 4, 2008 |
| Summary | Loss of control due to wake turbulence, pilot error, inadequate crew qualifications |
| Site |
Las Lomas, Mexico City 19°25′35″N 99°12′13″W / 19.42639°N 99.20361°WCoordinates: 19°25′35″N 99°12′13″W / 19.42639°N 99.20361°W |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 16 (all 9 on board plus 7 on ground) |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 40 bystanders seriously injured 1,200 residents evacuated 30 cars destroyed |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Learjet 45 |
| Operator | Secretaría de Gobernación |
| Registration | XC-VMC |
| Flight origin | Ponciano Arriaga International Airport, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. |
| Destination | Mexico City International Airport |
An official Mexican Interior Ministry aircraft crashed in central Mexico City at around 18:45 local time on November 4, 2008. Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño, who was aboard the plane, was killed in the crash, along with the other eight people on board and seven people on the ground.
The plane crashed in rush-hour traffic close to the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and the Anillo Periférico, in the Las Lomas residential and business district. It entered wake turbulence from following a Boeing 767 too close and plummeted to the ground below. Although the plane did recover, it did not have sufficient altitude and crashed into a building, exploding on impact.
The Interior Secretariat-owned Learjet 45 (registration XC-VMC) left Ponciano Arriaga International Airport in San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., and was 12 km (7.5 mi) short of landing at Mexico City International Airport when it crashed, amidst rush-hour traffic, in the heart of the financial district at approximately 18:45, causing an explosion that "reached higher than the buildings." According to then Secretary of Communications and Transport Luis Téllez, there were no survivors. Téllez also stated that the crash appeared to be an accident.
The crash set multiple cars and a newsstand on fire and injured at least 40 people. Body parts were reported to be scattered around the wreckage.
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Wikipedia