A small private jet crashed in central Mexico on Monday while attempting an emergency landing near the city of Toluca, killing at least seven people and igniting a fire that forced nearby evacuations, state officials said.
Mexico State Civil Protection Coordinator Adrián Hernández said the aircraft went down in San Mateo Atenco, an industrial municipality about three miles (5 kilometers) from Toluca’s international airport and roughly 31 miles (50 kilometers) west of Mexico City.
The jet had departed from the coastal city of Acapulco, Hernández said. Flight records showed the aircraft was carrying eight passengers and two crew members, but as of several hours after the crash, authorities had recovered seven bodies from the wreckage.
Hernández said preliminary findings indicate the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing on a nearby soccer field but struck the metal roof of an adjacent industrial building instead. The impact triggered a large fire that engulfed debris and parts of the structure.
San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz told Milenio Television that emergency crews evacuated about 130 people from surrounding businesses and residences as a precaution while firefighters battled the blaze.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Hernández said aviation authorities have opened an investigation to determine what prompted the emergency landing attempt and whether mechanical failure or other factors were involved.
The crash highlights persistent safety challenges facing private aviation in Mexico, where emergency landings near densely populated or industrial zones can quickly escalate into large-scale disasters. Toluca airport, a key alternative hub to Mexico City’s congested Benito Juárez International Airport, sits amid rapidly expanding urban and industrial development, leaving limited open space for distressed aircraft.
Aviation analysts say incidents involving private jets often draw scrutiny over maintenance standards and flight planning, particularly on domestic routes connecting tourist destinations such as Acapulco with central Mexico.
While commercial aviation in Mexico maintains a strong safety record, private aircraft accidents remain a concern for regulators, especially when crashes occur close to civilian infrastructure. Investigators are expected to examine flight data, maintenance records and crew communications in the coming days as authorities work to identify the victims and notify their families.
The Associated Press
