Small private jet crash kills at least 7 in Mexico emergency landing attempt

A private aircraft attempting an emergency landing plunged into an industrial area near Toluca on Monday afternoon, killing at least seven people and prompting evacuations as firefighters battled a spreading blaze, authorities and news agencies reported.

The small plane, a private jet that had departed from Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific coast bound for Toluca International Airport, went down around midday in San Mateo Atenco, a municipality in the State of Mexico roughly 50 kilometers west of Mexico City. Officials said the aircraft may have been trying to land on a nearby soccer field when it struck the metal roof of a local business and burst into flames.

Mexico State Civil Protection Coordinator Adrián Hernández confirmed at a press briefing that emergency crews were on scene within minutes, but that only seven bodies had been recovered from the wreckage several hours after the crash. Initial flight records suggested there were up to ten people on board, including passengers and crew, according to Xinhua.

Mayor Ana Muñiz of San Mateo Atenco told local media the impact triggered a significant fire that forced the evacuation of about 130 area residents as a precaution. Authorities have not yet released the nationalities or identities of the victims.

Investigators from Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport and civil aviation authorities were dispatched to secure the site and begin an inquiry into the cause of the crash. Preliminary reports from AP note that weather conditions did not appear to be a factor, though officials cautioned that early assessments are incomplete.

Witnesses shared images and video on social media showing thick columns of smoke rising above warehouses and emergency responders working amid debris in the industrial sector. Local traffic was halted, and residents were urged to avoid the area as first responders conducted search and rescue operations.

This tragedy marks one of the deadliest small aircraft accidents in Mexico this year, and the findings of ongoing investigations will be key in determining what led the jet to attempt an off-airport landing so close to one of the region’s busiest flight corridors.