Wake Turbulence Among Possible Causes Being Investigated

The US ambassador to Mexico says investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board found no evidence the November 4 downing of a Learjet 45 transporting two controversial officials in the Mexican government was anything other than an unfortunate accident... but that's not likely to appease citizens who are convinced it was a drug cartel-backed conspiracy.

Investigators have found nothing on the flight data recorder, CVR, or in the wreckage to indicate "sabotage or criminal activity caused the crash," Ambassador Tony Garza told The Associated Press. "The preliminary evidence indicates the crash was a tragic accident," he added.

As ANN reported, Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino and former Assistant Attorney General Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos died in the crash, along with six others onboard the plane. The plane departed the northern city of San Luis Potosi, and was on approach to land at Mexico City International Airport when it came down for still-undetermined reasons.

Five persons on the ground were killed in the accident, and at least 40 others were injured when the aircraft impacted a business and residential neighborhood. Almost immediately, speculation has run rampant about why the plane went down; Santiago Vasconcelos was a prominent opponent of the country's violent and powerful drug cartels, while Mourino was Mexico's top security official.

The accident occurred in clear weather, and the Lear's flight crew gave no indications of any trouble before the crash. Mexican investigators have theorized wake turbulence from another aircraft may have caused the downing; they ruled out a bomb as the cause of the accident last week, noting no traces of explosions were discovered.

Garza told the AP that NTSB officials would leave Mexico Thursday, though they would be ready to help their Mexican counterparts if called upon. He stressed "we must now all await the final conclusions" of Mexican aviation officials, rather than speculating on any probable causes.

The NTSB has not issued a Preliminary Report on the accident.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov