On January 30, 1967, a Douglas DC-6 (registration XA-LAU) operated by Mexicana de Aviación was involved in an aviation accident near Mérida, Mexico during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Due to poor crew coordination during the final approach, they failed to follow the approach checklist and one of the pilot inadvertently set up the reverse thrust system. Due to low speed, the airplane stalled and crashed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
On final approach to Mérida-Licenciado Manuel Crecencio Rejon Airport, a four-engine aircraft stalled and crashed short of the runway, injuring all 29 occupants and destroying the aircraft.
Incident
During final approach to Mérida-Licenciado Manuel Crecencio Rejon Airport, a four-engine aircraft stalled and crashed few dozen yards short of the runway threshold. All 29 occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation found the probable cause to be poor crew coordination during the final approach. The crew failed to follow the approach checklist, and one of the pilots inadvertently set up the reverse thrust system. Due to low speed, the airplane stalled and crashed. The distance between the aircraft and the ground was insufficient to expect recovery.