GALVESTON, Texas – The Mexican Secretariat of the Navy confirms the body of the last person missing after Monday’s plane crash in Galveston has been recovered.
Crews were back on the water Tuesday morning, continuing the search for the passenger after a Mexican Navy medical aircraft crashed into Galveston Bay while attempting to land at Scholes International Airport.
The crash happened on Monday as the plane was nearing the airport in West Galveston Bay.
Officials say eight people were on board the military medical aircraft. Six people were killed and two people survived.
Tuesday evening, the Secretariat of the Navy announced the final missing person had been found dead.
Multiple agencies are involved in the ongoing recovery and investigation, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas DPS, the FAA and the NTSB, which is assisting with the probe.
Video from the moments after the crash shows debris scattered across the water, with pieces of the aircraft floating in the bay. Before official responders arrived, people who were nearby rushed in to help, pulling survivors from the wreckage.
“It’s starting to really sink in, the things I heard and the things that I saw was a little horrific,” said Dell Everett, who helped shuttle first responders to the scene of the crash in a private boat on Monday.
Authorities confirmed the aircraft was operated by the Mexican Navy and was not a commercial passenger flight.
It was part of a humanitarian medical mission tied to the Michou y Mau Foundation, transporting patients in need of specialized care. One of the passengers was a child burn patient headed to Galveston’s Shriners Hospital.
Flight records show the plane departed from General Mariano Escobedo International Airport in Mexico before attempting to land in Galveston. Officials say fog was thick at the time of the crash, significantly limiting visibility.
Data from FlightAware shows the plane landed in Galveston three times since October.
The plane wreckage is approximately 1.5 miles from the edge of runway 14 at Galveston Scholes International Airport. One thing that aided search crews and emergency responders was the shallow water the plane came to a final rest in.
“It’s starting to really sink in, the things I heard and the things that I saw was a little horrific,” said Lt. Sean Migues with the Galveston Police Department Marine Division.
As recovery efforts resumed on Tuesday, investigators will also be examining wreckage for clues into what went wrong as the aircraft approached the runway.
The FAA is assisting the NTSB with the investigation into the crash.
The NTSB shared this statement with KPRC 2:
The NTSB has opened an investigation into Monday’s crash of a Beech King Air 350i airplane into Galveston Bay in Texas. The airplane was operated by the Mexican Navy.
The first step in the investigation will involve the recovery of the airplane from Galveston Bay, which could take a week or more to complete.
After the wreckage is recovered, it will then be moved to a secure facility for examination by an NTSB investigator.
NTSB investigations involve three primary areas: the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of this process, investigators will gather the following information and records:
- Flight track data
- Recordings of any air traffic control communications
- Aircraft maintenance records
- Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident
- Pilot’s license, ratings and recency of flight experience
- 72-hour background of the pilot to determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safely operate the flight
- Electronic devices that could contain information relevant to the investigation
Anyone with information that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.
The NTSB has no role in the release of the identities of accident victims and/or the extent and number of injuries nor does it release the identities of those injured or killed; that’s handled by local authorities.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the accident. Once a publication date is set, it will appear on the following page: https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Pages/daily-publication-dashboard.aspx. It will also be posted on NTSB Newsroom Twitter (@ntsb_newsroom).
The preliminary report will contain factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation. A probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors will be detailed in the final report, which is expected in 12-24 months.
Additional information about NTSB investigative processes is available at Media Resources (https://www.ntsb.gov/news/Pages/media_resources.aspx).