What happened
On September 15, 2008, a Cessna 421B, registration N7560Q, crashed into mountainous terrain near the border of Presidio, Texas, and Ojinaga, Mexico. The flight departed from El Paso International Airport approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot contacted the Fort Worth Automated Flight Service Station to file a visual flight rules flight plan for Presidio. During this communication, the pilot indicated an intention to cross into Mexican airspace to survey the Luis Leon Dam, though no landing in Mexico was planned.
The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers, including high-ranking officials from the International Boundary and Water Commission and the Rio Grande Council of Governments. The mission was intended to evaluate Rio Grande flood levels and coordinate cross-border flood control efforts following heavy rainfall in Mexico.
Following the accident, the wreckage was discovered on September 17, 2008, by US Customs and Border Protection personnel. The aircraft was located on the western side of the Sierra Grande Mountains at an elevation of roughly 6,500 feet. The impact occurred on a heading of 055 degrees along the V81 airway, with the plane coming to rest just below a ridgeline. The accident resulted in four fatalities.
Findings
Prior to the flight, the pilot did not request a formal weather briefing. Although the flight service specialist advised that visual flight rules were not advisable because of mountain obscuration, the flight proceeded. The lack of a weather briefing and subsequent disregard for warnings regarding mountain obscuration were key factors in the flight's progression into hazardous conditions.