Accident Details
On December 7, 2008, at approximately 1815 central standard time, a twin-engine turbofan Learjet 23, Mexican registration XC-LGD, was destroyed when it struck a lake while on final approach to an unlit day visual flight rules airport near Tlaxcala, Mexico. The aircraft was observed to have a high rate of descent on short final, and a witness reported losing visual contact with the airplane. After about 40 seconds without the aircraft reappearing, the witness drove to the landing threshold of the runway to check on its status. Other individuals at the airport boundary indicated that the airplane had crash-landed into a lake north of the airport. The flight was terminating at the time of the accident. The pilot and copilot received fatal injuries.
Wreckage Recovery
The aircraft is being recovered to a facility in Tlaxcala, Mexico, for further investigation. A technical advisor from Bombardier-Learjet Inc. has been appointed to provide technical assistance to the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) in the recovery effort and conduct of the investigation.
Investigation
The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Mexico. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of Mexico. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT), Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC), Col. San Juan de Aragón, 3-sección, Del. Venustiano Carranza, Mexico, D.F., Mexico, C.P. 15620, Telephone: 55-2598-0138.