Mexican investigators have opened a probe into a serious Cessna 650 Citation III accident south of Toluca airport on 15 December.
The country’s transportation ministry states that the executive jet had departed Acapulco’s runway 24 for Toluca.
Its flightplan indicated eight passengers and two pilots were on board, the ministry adds.
The aircraft’s crew had contacted Toluca tower a few minutes prior to arrival, stating that the jet was on final approach to runway 33, according to air-ground transmissions archived by LiveATC.
It was subsequently cleared to land. But about 1.5nm before the threshold the jet entered a sharp left turn. A further, apparently agitated, transmission to the tower indicated an urgent situation.
Surveillance video purportedly capturing the aircraft as it neared Toluca indicate it was descending with an excessive angle – perhaps 90° – of left bank.
The aircraft’s left wing struck the ground of a playing field and the jet disintegrated.
Toluca is a high-altitude airport with elevation of nearly 8,500ft.
Meteorological data for around the time of the accident, 12:31, indicates a temperature of 16°C, good visibility, and crosswind component from the right.
Preliminary information from the air-ground exchanges identify the aircraft as XA-PRO.
Circumstances of the accident have yet to be clarified.
Mexico’s transportation ministry says emergency services responded and co-ordination activities between various agencies were inter-institutional coordination were “immediately activated”.
It states that the directorate of aviation accident and incident analysis, the federal civil aviation regulator, and air navigation service SENEAM are participating in the inquiry.
Mexico’s attorney general’s office says the aircraft came down in the district of San Pedro Totoltepec. It has also opened a probe into the crash, in co-operation with the federal public prosecutor’s office and criminal investigation personnel.
