2008 Mexico City plane crash
Encyclopedia
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 seven people on board and at least six 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 upscale Las Lomas residential and business district.
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 into the ground in the heart of the financial district at approximately 18:45,
causing an explosion that "reached higher than the buildings."
According to Secretary of Communications and Transport
Luis Téllez
, there were no survivors.
Téllez also stated that the crash appeared to be an accident.
The crash heavily damaged the surrounding area, setting multiple cars
and a newsstand
on fire and injuring at least 40 people. Body parts were reported to be scattered around the wreckage.
, top aide to President
Felipe Calderón
. Mouriño was in charge of the fight against the drug trade in Mexico
.
Also on the plane were:
President Felipe Calderón
addressed the nation live on national television. He spoke of Mouriño as "one of his closest friends and collaborators" and conveyed his condolences to the family.
He stated that Mouriño was a man "who always fought to make Mexico a better country" and he guaranteed the nation that there would be an investigation on the causes behind the plane crash. Calderón encouraged Mexican men and women to continue fighting for a better country, "no matter how difficult or painful any rising event may be".
Marcelo Ebrard
, Head of Government of the Federal District
, also conveyed his condolences to the family of the Secretary of Interior and assured that Mexico City's government would issue a statement to the nation regarding the issue.
Ebrard later said that the Mexico City
government would give financial aid to all of the injured receiving medical care, irrespective of whether they had been admitted to private or public hospitals, and he stated that the local authorities had handed over all recordings taken by surveillance video cameras to the federal attorney general (PGR), along with all witness accounts that local police were able to gather.
Several other political figures have made statements regarding the crash, including various senators from the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI) and Germán Martínez
, leader of the ruling National Action Party
(PAN).
A group of senators – from different political parties – have asked the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) to investigate the accident so that all doubts and inquiries on the event may be cleared.
caused by the larger jet. The minimum allowable distance for a lighter plane to follow behind a heavier plane is 5 nautical miles (9.3 km); the Learjet was only 4.1 nautical miles (7.6 km) behind the Mexicana airplane.
Investigations into the accident have discovered several issues with the Mexican government's use of private contractors as pilots of government aircraft, especially important in cases such as this, when the passengers are high-level officials. Aviación Ejecutiva SA de CV is a company out of Toluca
Mexico that currently holds the contract with the Mexican Federal government to provide services of maintenance and pilots for the federal airline fleet.
Benito Juarez Airport restricts light general aviation, which typically flies from Toluca International Airport. Only some government areas handle small and medium planes from facilities in Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport.
Several key elements of the accident have emerged during the investigation:
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
Interior Ministry
Secretaría de Gobernación
The Secretaría de Gobernación , often shortened to SEGOB is the Cabinet-level agency of Mexico responsible for administering the country's internal affairs, similar to other country's interior ministries...
aircraft crashed in central Mexico City at around 18:45 local time on November 4, 2008. Mexican Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of the Interior (Mexico)
The Mexican Secretary of the Interior is the head of the Secretariat of the Interior, concerned with the country's internal affairs, the presentation of the president's bills to Congress, their publication and certain issues of national security. The country's main intelligence agency, CISEN,...
Juan Camilo Mouriño
Juan Camilo Mouriño
Juan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo was a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party and the Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón...
, who was aboard the plane, was killed in the crash, along with the other seven people on board and at least six people on the ground.
The plane crashed in rush-hour traffic close to the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma is a wide avenue that runs in a straight line, cutting diagonally across Mexico City. It was designed by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig in the 1860s and modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, such as Vienna's Ringstrasse or the Champs-Élysées in Paris...
and the Anillo Periférico
Anillo Periférico
The Anillo Periférico is the name given to the outer beltway of Mexico City. The beltway gained major media attention when the Mexico City mayor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, started a project to turn a southern section of the ring into a two-story highway...
, in the upscale Las Lomas residential and business district.
Details
Secretaría de Gobernación
The Secretaría de Gobernación , often shortened to SEGOB is the Cabinet-level agency of Mexico responsible for administering the country's internal affairs, similar to other country's interior ministries...
-owned Learjet 45
Learjet 45
-See also:-References:* Taylor, Michael J.H. Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000. London:Brassey's, 1999. ISBN 1 85753 245 7.-External links:*...
(registration XC-VMC) left Ponciano Arriaga International Airport
Ponciano Arriaga International Airport
Ponciano Arriaga International Airport is an international airport located at San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It handles national and international air traffic for the city of San Luis Potosí.-Airlines and destinations:- Cargo Airlines :...
in San Luis Potosí, S.L.P.
San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in the Mexican state of the same name. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters...
, and was 12 km (7.5 mi) short of landing at Mexico City International Airport
Mexico City International Airport
Benito Juárez International Airport , in Venustiano Carranza, one of the sixteen boroughs into which Mexico's Federal District is divided, is a commercial airport that serves Mexico City, the capital of Mexico...
when it crashed amidst rush-hour traffic into the ground in the heart of the financial district at approximately 18:45,
causing an explosion that "reached higher than the buildings."
According to Secretary of Communications and Transport
Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico)
The Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico is a federal entity that regulates commercial road traffic and broadcasting...
Luis Téllez
Luis Téllez
Luis Manuel Enrique Téllez Kuenzler is a Mexican economist. He is a former Secretary of Energy in the cabinet of Ernesto Zedillo and served as Secretary of Communications and Transportation in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón until 2009.Téllez graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico...
, there were no survivors.
Téllez also stated that the crash appeared to be an accident.
The crash heavily damaged the surrounding area, setting multiple cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and a newsstand
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
on fire and injuring at least 40 people. Body parts were reported to be scattered around the wreckage.
Deaths
Among the dead was Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo MouriñoJuan Camilo Mouriño
Juan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo was a Mexican politician affiliated to the National Action Party and the Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón...
, top aide to President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
. Mouriño was in charge of the fight against the drug trade in Mexico
Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
.
Also on the plane were:
- José Luis Santiago VasconcelosJosé Luis Santiago VasconcelosJosé Luis Santiago Vasconcelos was a Mexican lawyer and civil servant.Santiago Vasconcelos, a native of Mexico City, earned a law degree at the National Autonomous University of Mexico . In 1993 he began working for the office of the federal Attorney-General , in the drug-trafficking control area...
, former assistant attorney generalAttorney General (Mexico)The Attorney General of Mexico is the head of the Office of the General Prosecutor and the Federal Public Ministry , an institution belonging to the Federal executive branch that is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of...
and current head of the federal technical secretariat for implementing the recent constitutional reforms on criminal justice and public security. - Miguel Monterrubio, director general of social communications with the Interior Secretariat.
- Arcadio Echeverría, coordinator of special events, office of the Interior Secretary.
- Norma Díaz, director in the communications department of the Interior Secretariat.
- Julio César Ramírez Dávalos, pilot.
- Álvaro Sánchez, co-pilot.
- Gisel Carrillo, stewardess.
Government response
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
addressed the nation live on national television. He spoke of Mouriño as "one of his closest friends and collaborators" and conveyed his condolences to the family.
He stated that Mouriño was a man "who always fought to make Mexico a better country" and he guaranteed the nation that there would be an investigation on the causes behind the plane crash. Calderón encouraged Mexican men and women to continue fighting for a better country, "no matter how difficult or painful any rising event may be".
Marcelo Ebrard
Marcelo Ebrard
Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón is the current Head of Government of the Federal District since December 5, 2006. He is a Mexican politician affiliated to the Party of the Democratic Revolution who served as Secretary-General of the former Mexican Federal District Department, minister of public...
, Head of Government of the Federal District
Head of Government of the Federal District
The Head of Government wields executive power in the Mexican Federal District.The Head of Government serves a six-year term, running concurrently with that of the President of the Republic....
, also conveyed his condolences to the family of the Secretary of Interior and assured that Mexico City's government would issue a statement to the nation regarding the issue.
Ebrard later said that the Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
government would give financial aid to all of the injured receiving medical care, irrespective of whether they had been admitted to private or public hospitals, and he stated that the local authorities had handed over all recordings taken by surveillance video cameras to the federal attorney general (PGR), along with all witness accounts that local police were able to gather.
Several other political figures have made statements regarding the crash, including various senators from the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI) and Germán Martínez
Germán Martínez
Germán Martínez Cázares is a Mexican politician and lawyer. He is a member of the National Action Party....
, leader of the ruling National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
(PAN).
A group of senators – from different political parties – have asked the Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) to investigate the accident so that all doubts and inquiries on the event may be cleared.
Results of investigation
The black boxes were sent to the United States for analysis. Information gathered from 38 minutes of cabin conversations, along with video footage from a security camera on top of the Omega Office Building, provided evidence for an official statement by the Mexican Government that the crash was the result of pilot error. The Learjet was ruled to have been following too close to a Boeing 767-300 jet operated by Mexicana Airlines, and therefore suffered violent wake turbulenceWake turbulence
Wake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wing vorticies and jetwash. Jetwash refers simply to the rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely turbulent,...
caused by the larger jet. The minimum allowable distance for a lighter plane to follow behind a heavier plane is 5 nautical miles (9.3 km); the Learjet was only 4.1 nautical miles (7.6 km) behind the Mexicana airplane.
Investigations into the accident have discovered several issues with the Mexican government's use of private contractors as pilots of government aircraft, especially important in cases such as this, when the passengers are high-level officials. Aviación Ejecutiva SA de CV is a company out of Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
Mexico that currently holds the contract with the Mexican Federal government to provide services of maintenance and pilots for the federal airline fleet.
Benito Juarez Airport restricts light general aviation, which typically flies from Toluca International Airport. Only some government areas handle small and medium planes from facilities in Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport.
Several key elements of the accident have emerged during the investigation:
- The flight crew appear to have had little experience in operation of the Learjet 45, and an investigation concerning how they received their certification is currently underway.
- Conversation among the flight crew indicates that they had little familiarity with the operation of the plane; they failed on several occasions to enter the proper information into the cockpit instruments, did not follow a proper flight plan, and had navigational difficulties, missing their original arrival to San Luis PotosiSan Luis PotosíSan Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
by over 250 nautical miles (463 km). Further it was stated that their in-flight conversations were more of the nature of two people driving a car, not of trained pilots following a proper flight plan. - The flight crew waited over a minute to follow the order from air traffic control to reduce their velocity. The Learjet had been traveling at 262 knots (513.5 km/h), while the Mexicana 767-300 was flying at 185 knots (362.6 km/h), which caused the Learjet to get too close to the 767-300. The accident happened during peak hours at the airport with heavy air traffic; this has brought criticism of the handling and scheduling of risky flight plans for top government officials.
- The accident happened just at the point where aircraft entering Mexico City traveling on a 160° course (south-southeast) make a sharp left turn to align with the runways of Benito Juarez International Airport, at 52° (northeast). When the Learjet reached the turning point, too close behind the Mexicana 767-300, it encountered violent wake turbulence, causing the plane to invert into a nose-down attitude. At this point, the plane would have been flying at 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) MSL, which is about 1700 feet (518.2 m) over the ground.
- The flight crew was unable to regain control due to airspeed, inverted nose-down position, and insufficient altitude. The flight crew did manage to reduce the angle of descent from 45° to 40° before hitting the ground at over 300 mi/h.
External links
- Official message from President Calderón
- Muere Mouriño en accidente aéreo Special coverage section from El UniversalEl Universal (Mexico City)El Universal is a major Mexican newspaper.El Universal was founded by Félix Palavicini and Emilio Rabasa in October 1916, in the city of Santiago de Queretaro to cover the end of the Mexican Revolution and the creation of the new Mexican Constitution...
- Official reports from the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation regarding the accident
- Official reports from the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation regarding the accident
- Diálogo de los pilotos del Lear Jet 45 (Spanish)
- Government responsible to validate pilots of learjet.
- Air turbulence likely caused government crash.
- Its is confirmed by authorities that SG had responsibility for control.
- Political parties leaders say that the country has been put at risk by improper security measures taken for protection of top officials who died in plane crash.
- ATC audio and radar video