Mexican Navy Aircraft Crashes in Texas During Humanitarian Flight

A Mexican Navy aircraft conducting a humanitarian medical mission crashed Monday afternoon while approaching Galveston, Texas, leaving five people dead, two survivors and one person unaccounted for, according to Mexican and US authorities.

The aircraft, a Beechcraft King Air operated by the Mexican Navy, was supporting a specialized medical transfer coordinated with the Michou y Mau Foundation when it went down near the Texas coast. The Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR) said the incident occurred during the aircraft’s approach to Galveston as part of a mission under the Navy’s Plan Marina humanitarian framework.

In a statement issued Dec. 22, SEMAR confirmed that eight people were on board the aircraft: four Navy personnel and four civilians. “The aircraft was conducting a specialized medical transport mission in support of the Michou y Mau Foundation,” the Navy said.

Search and rescue protocols were immediately activated in coordination with US authorities, including the US Coast Guard, SEMAR said. Initial reports indicated that six people had been recovered—four alive and two deceased—while efforts continued to locate the remaining two individuals believed to be inside the aircraft.

As rescue operations progressed, the number of confirmed fatalities increased. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, through Sheriff Jimmy Fullen, told local media outlet KPRC, a CNN affiliate, that four people had died as a result of the crash. Later that evening, at 8:34 p.m. local time, SEMAR confirmed that the death toll had risen to five, while acknowledging that one person remained unlocated.

The Navy did not immediately clarify whether any of the individuals initially rescued alive later succumbed to their injuries or provide details on the identities of the victims. Authorities also did not specify whether the deceased were military personnel or civilians, nor did they disclose the condition of the patient being transported at the time of the crash.

According to SEMAR, the aircraft had departed from Mérida, in the southeastern Mexican state of Yucatán, en route to Texas. The mission was in support of the Michou y Mau Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to children with severe burn injuries. The foundation has previously coordinated international medical transfers for pediatric patients requiring specialized treatment unavailable in Mexico.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicated that the aircraft had reached the Galveston area and was maneuvering to begin its landing sequence when it disappeared from radar. Media outlets in Texas reported that the aircraft lost contact shortly before the crash.

SEMAR said it has begun coordination with the Mexican Consulate in Houston to support administrative and legal procedures related to the incident. “The corresponding investigations will be carried out in support of the competent authorities to determine the causes of the events,” the Navy said.