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18 fatalities

Aviation Accident: Fatal Crash Near Uruapan, Mexico (XA-TKN)

Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón, MexicoTakeoff (climb)

On November 9, 1999, a Douglas DC-9 (registration XA-TKN) operated by Transportes Aéreos Ejecutivos - TAESA was involved in an aviation accident near Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón, Mexico during takeoff. 18 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was the consequence of an over-rotation on takeoff and a climb with a very pronounced angle, which caused the loss of control, with spatial disorientation (loss of the horizon), in a flight operation by instruments (IFR), in which, according to… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered XA-TKN
Aircraft registered XA-TKN. Photo: YESTERDAY'S AIRLINES / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An aircraft crashed into an avocado plantation 5.3 km from Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport after stalling during climb-out. All 18 occupants were killed.

Incident Overview and Flight Details The aircraft was operating a service from Tijuana to Mexico City, with intermediate stops in Guadalajara and Uruapan. At the time of the accident, the flight carried 13 passengers and a crew of five. The aircraft departed Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport runway 20 at 1859 local time for the final leg to Mexico City. After liftoff, the crew received clearance to climb to 5,000 feet. While at an altitude of approximately 1,000 meters, the aircraft adopted a high angle of attack, stalled, entered a dive, and crashed into an avocado plantation located 5.3 km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, resulting in the deaths of all 18 occupants.

Probable cause

The accident was the consequence of an over-rotation on takeoff and a climb with a very pronounced angle, which caused the loss of control, with spatial disorientation (loss of the horizon), in a flight operation by instruments (IFR), in which, according to the crew, there was a possible failure of asymmetry indication in the leading edge flaps (slats), with the crew neglecting to control the flight of the aircraft.
Loss of control in flight

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Same operator

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