Aviation

22.11, crash, investigation

Mexico: investigators said that they had found evidence of irregularities in the training records of at least one of the pilots handling a jet that crashed earlier the month, killing Mexico’s interior secretary. Investigators had previously pointed to instability caused by the wake turbulence of a larger plane as the likely cause of the November 4 crash of the Learjet 45. However, they also said the pilots appeared unfamiliar with flight controls or procedures, and officials filed an administrative complaint with the federal office overseeing public servants. Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez said the training records showed the lack of a qualified instructor, and improperly registered qualifying hours of flight. An investigation would focus on government officials who were supposed to oversee compliance with pilot flight-training and certification. Most flight-training for such aircraft in Mexico was carried out by private firms, with government regulation. A total of 15 people — those on board the aircraft, including Interior Secretary Juan Camilo, and several people on the ground — were killed when the aircraft crashed into a wealthy part of Mexico City. A transcript of the cockpit recorder suggested the frantic pilots were struggling to regain control of the aircraft before the crash. A preliminary investigation found the pilots were slow to follow the control tower’s instructions to reduce speed and appeared to be nearly one nautical mile too close behind a Boeing 767-300 on the same flight path to Mexico City’s international airport.