Aeroméxico Flight 229
Aeroméxico Flight 229 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 that crashed into the side of a mountain while on approach to Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on 20 June 1973. There were no survivors among the 27 passengers and crew.
Aeroméxico DC-9-15 XA-SOJ, sister ship of the accident aircraft | |
Accident | |
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Date | 20 June 1973 |
Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
Site | Near Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-15 |
Aircraft name | Coahuila |
Operator | Aeroméxico |
Registration | XA-SOC |
Flight origin | Houston-Intercontinental Airport |
1st stopover | General Mariano Escobedo International Airport |
Last stopover | Lic. Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport |
Destination | Mexico City International Airport |
Occupants | 27 |
Passengers | 22 |
Crew | 5 |
Fatalities | 27 (all) |
Survivors | 0 |
Accident
The accident aircraft was on a passenger flight from Houston-Intercontinental Airport (now George Bush Intercontinental Airport) in Houston, Texas to Mexico City International Airport via General Mariano Escobedo International Airport in Monterrey, Mexico, and Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta. The aircraft was nearing Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz when the flight was cleared for approach and landing on runway 04. At 22:47, during the approach, the aircraft flew into the side of Las Minas Mountain, 20 miles (32 km) SSE of the Puerto Vallarta airport. The aircraft broke up and caught fire, killing all 27 passengers and crew.