Learjet 45 accident near Mexico City, Mx, November 5, 2008
On November 5, 2008, a Learjet 45, registered XCVMC, was destroyed in an accident near Mexico City. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. 8 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2008
- Place
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 8 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Learjet 45 · all 45s on the register
- Registration
- XCVMC · no longer on the register · serial 028
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 4, 2008, at 1846 central standard time, a Learjet model 45, registration XC-VMC, impacted terrain and buildings while on approach to Benito Juárez Mexico City International Airport (MMMX), Mexico City, Mexico. The 9 passengers and crew onboard the airplane were killed and the airplane was destroyed. Initial reports indicated that fourteen people on the ground were killed and an additional 40 people on the ground were injured. The airplane was registered to Secretairia du Gobernacion of Mexico, and operated by Centro de Servicios Cooperatives Aeros. The flight originated from the Ponciano Arriaga International (MMSP) airport, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The investigation is being conducted by the Mexican Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC). The NTSB has assigned an Accredited Representative to assist the investigation under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13 as the Country of Manufacture and Design of the airplane and engines.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.