Fatal Mountain Strike During Night Approach at Uruapan Airport (XA-SLU)

Incident Overview and Approach Attempts During descent to Uruapan-General Ignacio López Rayón Airport, the flight crew encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility caused by night and rain. Air traffic control instructed the crew to conduct an instrument approach, but the pilots requested a visual approach to runway 02. Unable to establish visual contact with the runway, the crew initiated a go-around, completed a right turn, and attempted a second approach minutes later. That second attempt was also abandoned for the same reasons. The captain then initiated a left turn in an attempt to make a visual approach to runway 20, which was not compliant with published procedures. Shortly afterward, at an altitude of 1,200 metres, the twin-engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 5.9 km northwest of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed on impact, and all nine occupants were killed.