ASN Aircraft accident Learjet 35A XA-SWF Tepic Airport (TPQ)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 23 June 1995
Time:23:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic LJ35 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Learjet 35A
Operator:Aéreo Reservaciones Ejecutivas
Registration: XA-SWF
MSN: 35A-391
First flight: 1981
Engines: 2 Garrett TFE731-2-2B
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Total:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:8,3 km (5.2 mls) S of Tepic Airport (TPQ) (   Mexico)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Ciudad Obregón Airport (CEN/MMCN), Mexico
Destination airport:Toluca Airport (TLC/MMTO), Mexico
Narrative:
The crew of the Learjet 35A XA-SWF, opened an instrument flight plan (IFR), at the airport of Ciudad Obregón, bound for the airport of Toluca, with four passengers on board and autonomy for 04:00 hours of operation. After taking off from Ciudad Obregón at 20:01 hours, the flight reported that it was cancelling its flight plan and returning to the departure airport. After the second take off at 21:18, the flight plan was canceled again as the crew wanted to divert to Tepic. While en route the destination was changed to Guadalajara. However, the controller informed the flight that Guadalajara Airport was closed.
The flight crew then opted to divert to Tepic again, maintaining continuous communication with the Mazatlán Center controller. The last communication with the aircraft was that it had the lights of the Tepic Airport in sight. No contact was established with the Tepic Tower. The aircraft crashed a few kilometers from the airport, resulting in fatal injuries to the crew.

One of the surviving passengers was a Mexican drug lord, Héctor Luis Palma Salazar, who was arrested after the accident.

Probable Cause:

Probable cause: "Attempted landing, at an airport closed to the aeronautical operations, (official time 06:00/18.00 hours), not respecting the minimum altitude published for the approach procedure, colliding against terrain at 4.5 dme (8334 meters), from the threshold of runway 02."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: SCT Mexico
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 109 days (4 months)
Accident number: 060/95
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground

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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Ciudad Obregón Airport to Toluca Airport as the crow flies is 1369 km (856 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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