Mexican Navy plane crashes off Texas, killing five on aid mission

December 23, 2025 / 9:36 AM

Sharjah24-AFP: At least five people were killed when a Mexican Navy aircraft crashed into the waters off the US state of Texas while carrying out a humanitarian medical transfer, Mexican authorities confirmed on Monday.

According to a statement from the Mexican Navy Secretariat, eight people were on board the aircraft, which was conducting a specialised medical evacuation mission coordinated with a Mexican foundation that supports children with severe burns. The aircraft went down as it approached Galveston, Texas.

The navy reported that two people survived the crash, while five others were confirmed dead, revising earlier figures that had indicated a lower death toll. One person remains missing, and search operations continue in coordination with the US Coast Guard.

Search and rescue efforts ongoing

US Coast Guard units were deployed immediately after the incident, but the missing individual had not been found at the time of the latest update. Authorities said search-and-rescue operations are ongoing in the area.

Flightradar data showed that the aircraft departed from Mérida in Mexico’s Yucatán state at 18:46 GMT and was last detected at 21:01 GMT over Galveston Bay, near Scholes International Airport.