Galveston: A small Mexican Navy aircraft carrying a medical patient and seven others crashed off the southern coast of the United States near Texas, killing at least five people.
In a statement, Mexico’s Navy confirmed that eight people were on board the plane, including four Navy officers and four civilians, among them a child. Two people survived the crash, while one person remains missing.
The Mexican Marine Corps expressed condolences, saying it was sending its deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident. US Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker told The Associated Press that at least five people on board had died, though he did not specify which passengers. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Mexico’s Navy said the aircraft suffered an accident while approaching Galveston, Texas, without providing further details. Flight tracking data from Flight Radar shows the plane departed from Mérida in Mexico’s Yucatán state at 18:46 GMT and was last recorded at 21:01 GMT over Galveston Bay, near Scholes International Airport.
According to the Navy, the flight was part of a medical mission coordinated with the Michou and Mau Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that provides emergency transport for children with life-threatening burns to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston.
US authorities have launched an investigation into the crash. Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have arrived at the scene, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on social media platform X. An NTSB spokesperson confirmed the agency is aware of the accident and is gathering information.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol officers were deployed to respond to the incident. It remains unclear whether weather conditions played a role. The region has experienced foggy conditions in recent days, according to the US National Weather Service. Meteorologist Cameron Batiste said visibility dropped to about half a mile.
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