2 killed in small plane crash shortly after takeoff in Mexico

Two people were killed Monday when a Cessna aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Pachuca National Airport in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, said Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC).

The Cessna 210 aircraft, operated by Grupo Aeroespacial Avspace, departed at 9.30 a.m. local time (1530GMT) bound for Cuernavaca International Airport in the state of Morelos, AFAC said in a post on the US social media platform X.

The aircraft crashed just one minute after departure during its initial climb, when it was around 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the beginning of runway 21, the agency said.

According to preliminary information, the plane fell onto Tezontle Avenue in the Venta Prieta neighborhood of Pachuca, the capital of Hidalgo.
The crash occurred outside the airport area in an urban neighborhood located near the airport's runway, according to the preliminary account provided by aviation authorities.

Both people aboard the aircraft were killed. AFAC did not immediately release their identities or provide further details about their positions aboard the plane.
Following the crash, personnel from the Pachuca Airport Command traveled to the site to carry out the corresponding procedures and coordinate the response by authorities.

The agency said an administrative investigation had also been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident.

AFAC did not provide information about a possible technical failure, weather conditions or other factors that could have contributed to the aircraft's descent.

The agency also did not announce whether any people on the ground were injured or whether buildings or vehicles were damaged when the aircraft struck the avenue.

No preliminary conclusions about the cause of the crash have been released.

A Cessna 210 is a single-engine aircraft used for private and general aviation operations.