Incident Overview

Date: Friday 23 June 1995
Aircraft Type: Learjet 35A
Owner/operator: A‚reo Reservaciones Ejecutivas
Registration Number: XA-SWF
Location: 8,3 km S of Tepic Airport (TPQ) – ÿ Mexico
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 6
Component Affected: AircraftAircraft
Investigating Agency: SCTSCT
Category: Accident
A Learjet 35A XA-SWF flight, bound for Toluca, was canceled and diverted to Tepic following a second takeoff attempt due to a closed Guadalajara Airport. The crew communicated with the Mazatl n Center controller, ultimately diverting to Tepic again, and then to Guadalajara, before the aircraft crashed.A Learjet 35A XA-SWF flight, bound for Toluca, was canceled and diverted to Tepic following a second takeoff attempt due to a closed Guadalajara Airport. The crew communicated with the Mazatl n Center controller, ultimately diverting to Tepic again, and then to Guadalajara, before the aircraft crashed.

Description

The crew of the Learjet 35A XA-SWF, opened an instrument flight plan (IFR), at the airport of Ciudad Obreg¢n, bound for the airport of Toluca, with four passengers on board and autonomy for 04:00 hours of operation. After taking off from Ciudad Obreg¢n at 20:01 hours, the flight reported that it was cancelling its flight plan and returning to the departure airport. After the second take off at 21:18, the flight plan was canceled again as the crew wanted to divert to Tepic. While en route the destination was changed to Guadalajara. However, the controller informed the flight that Guadalajara Airport was closed. The flight crew then opted to divert to Tepic again, maintaining continuous communication with the Mazatl n Center controller. The last communication with the aircraft was that it had the lights of the Tepic Airport in sight. No contact was established with the Tepic Tower. The aircraft crashed a few kilometers from the airport, resulting in fatal injuries to the crew. One of the surviving passengers was a Mexican drug lord, H‚ctor Luis Palma Salazar, who was arrested after the accident. Probable cause: “Attempted landing, at an airport closed to the aeronautical operations, (official time 06:00/18.00 hours), not respecting the minimum altitude published for the approach procedure, colliding against terrain at 4.5 dme (8334 meters), from the threshold of runway 02.”

Primary Cause

Attempted landing at an airport closed to aeronautical operations, not respecting the minimum altitude published for the approach procedure, colliding against terrain at 4.5 dme (8334 meters), from the threshold of runway 02.Attempted landing at an airport closed to aeronautical operations, not respecting the minimum altitude published for the approach procedure, colliding against terrain at 4.5 dme (8334 meters), from the threshold of runway 02.

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