CEN09WA022

On October 17, 2008, a Cessna 402C with Mexican Registration XC-HAQ departed on Runway 02 from Del Norte Airport (MMAN), near Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico at 1308 central daylight time (CDT) and was on climb out to cruise when radar contact was lost at 1315. The aircraft was found at approximately 1820 in a mountainous region near the village of Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The Cessna was owned and operated by the state government of Baja California Sur and was on a cross country flight to La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. A visual flight rules flight plan had been filed. The pilot, copilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was located by search and rescue and found to have impacted impacted a vertical face on Cerro Del Fraile Mountain, at approximately 5,700 feet Mean Sea Level, 11 nautical miles from the point of departure, on an approximate magnetic heading of 254 degrees. Altitude required to clear the mountain was a minimum of 7,000 feet mean sea level. Local air traffic controllers had cleared the Cessna to a heading of 254 degrees after take off, to climb to 12,500 feet, and maintain visual meteorological conditions. Weather at the time was reported to be a broken ceiling at 3000 feet. The investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Government of the Republic of Mexico. Any further information may be obtained from: Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC) Providencia 807, Cuarto Piso Colonia del Valle, Codigo Postal 03100 Mexico, D.F. This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from the DGAC of the Republic of Mexico.