A private jet attempting an emergency landing in central Mexico crashed on Monday, killing all 10 people aboard, including three young children traveling with their family.
The Cessna Citation III aircraft struck a warehouse and burst into flames around 12:31 p.m. local time on Dec. 15, 2025, near Toluca International Airport in San Mateo Atenco, approximately 32 miles west of Mexico City. The jet, operated by Jetpro SA and registered as XA-PRO, had departed from Acapulco at 12:02 p.m., with Toluca as its intended destination.
Mexico State Civil Protection Coordinator Adrian Hernandez confirmed the aircraft carried eight passengers and two crew members. Among the victims were three children: Natalia, age 2; Raul, age 4; and Ximena, age 9. The five adult passengers killed were Gustavo Palomino Olet, 50; Ilse Lizeth Hernandez Tellez, 32; Raul Gomez Ruiz, 60; Raul Gomez Buenfil, 31; and Olga Janine Buenfil Cardone, 60. The pilot, Juan Carlos Olivares Casas, 61, and copilot, Walding Sanchez Manzano, 72, also perished in the crash.
At a press conference on Tuesday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said the victims were members of a family traveling from Acapulco to Mexico City. The passengers’ relationships suggest a multigenerational family trip that ended in catastrophe just minutes before their scheduled arrival.
The pilot had reported a malfunction to the control tower shortly before the crash. As the aircraft attempted an emergency landing on a soccer field, it instead hit the metal roof of a nearby warehouse, igniting a large fire. The warehouse stored fuel and gas tanks, creating an additional hazard that prompted swift evacuation measures.
San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz told Milenio Television that approximately 130 people were evacuated from the surrounding area due to the fire and the volatile materials stored in the damaged building. Despite the intensity of the blaze and the populated industrial zone where the crash occurred, authorities confirmed no casualties on the ground.
Local resident Octavio Contreras described the terrifying moments as the jet descended. “It spun around like when a fan breaks loose,” he said. “Then we heard the explosion, the truck even moved and then we saw smoke coming out.”
Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the warehouse severely damaged with a large fire consuming the aircraft wreckage. Photos from the crash site showed the charred remains of the warehouse with smashed windows and a scorched soccer field nearby. The Civil Protection Firefighters of Toluca coordinated with emergency services from neighboring municipalities to extinguish the flames and secure the area.
The accident occurred in an industrial area just three miles from Toluca International Airport, where the jet had clearance to land. The proximity to the airport typically makes the area familiar with low-flying aircraft, though witnesses noted this plane appeared to be in distress as it descended.
President Sheinbaum addressed the suspected cause during her Tuesday press conference, indicating that technical failure appeared to be to blame for the crash. “The Federal Civil Aviation Agency, the Directorate of Aviation Accident and Incident Analysis and the Directorate of Air Navigation Services in Mexican Airspace are conducting the corresponding investigation,” Mexico’s Secretary of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation stated.
The Cessna 650 Citation III is a business jet typically used for executive transport and charter services. Jetpro SA operates a fleet providing air taxi services and aviation consulting throughout Mexico. The company has not yet issued a public statement regarding the crash.
Federal prosecutors have joined the investigation alongside forensic experts and agents from multiple aviation safety agencies. The comprehensive probe will examine the aircraft’s maintenance records, flight data, and communications with air traffic control to determine the precise sequence of events that led to the malfunction.
The crash represents one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Mexico this year, particularly striking for the loss of an entire family group. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to provide answers to the families of the victims and ensure similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico Cristobal Castañeda emphasized the evacuation efforts following the crash, noting that the dangerous materials stored at the impact site necessitated clearing a wide perimeter around the warehouse. The swift response from local officials likely prevented additional casualties, though the structural damage to the building was extensive.
As investigators continue their work at the crash site, the full scope of what caused the technical failure remains under examination. Aviation safety experts will analyze all available evidence to reconstruct the final minutes of the flight and identify any systemic issues that may require broader attention within Mexico’s aviation industry.