2008 Mexico City Learjet crash
On 4 November 2008 an official Mexican Secretariat of the Interior aircraft crashed in central Mexico City at around 18:45 local time. There were sixteen fatalities—all nine people on board and seven people on the ground. The plane, a Learjet 45, was carrying Mexican Secretary of the Interior Juan Camilo Mouriño.
Cordoned-off crash site with burned buildings in background guarded by police officers | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 November 2008 |
| Summary | Encounter with wake turbulence due to pilot error by fraudulently certified flight crew |
| Site | Las Lomas, Mexico City, Mexico 19°25′35″N 99°12′13″W |
| Total fatalities | 16 |
| Total injuries | 40 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Learjet 45 |
| Operator | Secretariat of the Interior |
| Registration | XC-VMC |
| Flight origin | Ponciano Arriaga International Airport, SLP |
| Destination | Mexico City International Airport |
| Occupants | 9 |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 9 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 7 |
| Ground injuries | 40 |
The plane crashed in rush-hour traffic close to the intersection of Paseo de la Reforma and the Anillo Periférico, in the Las Lomas business district. During its approach to Mexico City International Airport, the plane followed a Boeing 767 too closely and encountered wake turbulence which caused it to invert into a nose-down position. The pilots were able to reduce the angle of descent, but due to excessive speed and insufficient altitude, were unable to regain control of the aircraft. The plane crashed into a building, exploding on impact and killing 16 people.