Accident
The twin-engine airplane was operating a special flight from Monterrey to Tijuana on behalf of the General Attorney of the Republic of Mexico. The flight was conducting an instrument approach to Tijuana-General Abelardo L. Rodriguez Airport. The terminal weather was poor, with a low ceiling and fog reducing visibility to half a mile. The airport's Instrument Landing System (ILS) was inoperative, and the localizer was also not available, requiring the crew to perform a VOR/DME approach.
During the final approach segment, the crew failed to maintain adequate altitude. The airplane struck a power pole that was 14 feet high, located about two miles short of the runway threshold. The collision caused the aircraft to crash and erupt in flames. The wreckage came to rest on United States territory. The aircraft was totally destroyed, and all ten occupants—comprising crew and passengers—were killed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation concluded that the accident was a controlled collision with the ground. The probable cause was identified as improper IFR operation during the final approach. Contributing factors included the low ceiling, fog, limited visibility of half a mile, and the inoperative ILS and localizer, which forced the use of a VOR/DME approach.