A tragic airplane accident on Sunday, May 5th claimed the lives of 13 passengers on board a flight from Las Vegas to Monterrey International Airport. The passengers of the air accident were released by Mexican newspapers yesterday, five of which were one family and three others who were crew members that ranged in age from 19-57 years old. It is reported that the passengers were in Las Vegas to attend the boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena. The private jet, which took off at 2:52 PM from McCarran International Airport and was scheduled to land in Monterrey at 5:16 PM, went down in the Coahuila mountain range, a rugged and difficult to reach area about 500 kilometers from their destination.
The private jet, a Canadair Challenger 600, was spotted by aerial surveillance in the isolated mountain range, and it was reported that the area experienced high winds and difficult flying conditions the afternoon of the devastating crash. That it happened on Cinco De Mayo, a celebrated day in Mexico due to the May 5, 1862 victory against the French at the Battle of Puebla, was all the more devastating. An outpouring of sympathy has come from both sides of the border, including Golden Boy Promotions’ CEO Oscar de La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, presumably whom the passengers were in Las Vegas to support. It is believed that investigators from both the United Statess’ NTSB, Canada’s transportation safety board and Mexican flight authorities are in route to investigate the cause of the crash and access the remains of the airplane. While weather may have been the determining factor, emergency service officials had not ruled out other causes of the crash.
In today’s modern age with all the advances in technology and experience in the aviation field, it is a tragedy that air accidents like this as well as the Papillion helicopter crash in February of last year continue to occur at an alarming rate. Air accidents may be caused by a number of factors, however human error seems to play a factor in these devastating crashes all too often. The legal team at Benson & Bingham would like to share our collective condolences for the victims, families and friends of the passengers and crew that died during last weekend’s flight. If it is discovered that human error once again played a part in the private jet crashing, investigators and the law need to dole out judgment accordingly.
