US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials have been dispatched to Mexico to assist with the investigation into yesterday’s fatal McDonnell Douglas DC-9 freighter crash in Saltillo.

The NTSB says in a statement that senior investigator Robert Benzon has been designated as the US Accredited Representative and he will be accompanied by aircraft systems and meteorology specialists.

The team will also include advisors from the US FAA, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney.It confirms that the DC-9-15 freighter, operated by USA Jet Airlines, crashed at around 01:15 on 6 July on approach to Saltillo Airport.

It says the captain was killed and the first officer was critically injured, adding that there were no reported injuries on the ground.

According to Flight’s ACAS database it was built in 1967 and was powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B engines.

It had been owned and operated by USA Jet since 1996.

Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news

AirSpace gallery: McDonnell Douglas DC-9 freighter crash in Saltillo

Source: Flight International