BATH TWP. — Bath Township officials on Sunday, Oct. 19, said three people killed in a business jet crash Oct. 16 were Mexican nationals.
Officials identified the three crash victims as Rodolfo Pimental Zamora, of Mexico City, Francisco Javier del moral Jimenez, of Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico, and Alvaro Espejo Rodriguez, of Veracruz, Mexico, during a Sunday afternoon press conference, and added that the identifications were “presumptive” based on information provided by the Mexican consulate and their dates of birth had not yet been confirmed.
No one from the Mexican consulate took part in the briefing Sunday.
Final identification won’t be complete until DNA and other forensic tests are completed, which could take as long as eight weeks, Chief Medical Investigator for Clinton County Michelle Fox said. The bodies were taken to University of Michigan Sparrow where they were examined on Oct. 17. Toxicology and other reports are pending.
The three men were aboard a twin-engine business jet, which was on a test flight from Battle Creek Executive Airport, when it went down north of Interstate 69, in the Rose Lake State Wildlife Research Area in Clinton County’s Bath Township, near the intersection of Clark and Peacock roads, northeast of Lansing.
“The biggest challenge was the crash site itself,” Bath Township Fire Chief Mark Koonter said. “We had to use saws and manpower to blaze a trail. It was a significant challenge. We got trucks a third of the way and still had to lay half a mile of hose.”
Koonter said firefighters and police initially focused on finding victims they potentially could render aid to, but quickly pivoted to recovering bodies and extinguishing a fire. He later added there was environmental contamination at the site and a report was made to Michigan EGLE, but he declined to specify how the site was contaminated.
Township Supervisor Ryan Fewins-Bliss said the FAA and NTSB are continuing the investigation and investigators remained at the crash scene as of Sunday. Fewins-Bliss said the NTSB would remove aircraft debris to its facility to continue the investigation.
He added that a preliminary report on the crash could come in about two weeks, but said a final report could take as long as 1½ years. No one from the FAA or NTSB attended Sunday’s briefing.
The plane reportedly was registered in Mexico to Aereolineas del Centro SA. Aerolíneas del Centro SA is a relatively small airline that primarily focuses on private jet services, according to Travel and Tour World. Bath Township officials were unable to confirm the plane’s ownership.
What happened to the jet that crashed?
Duncan Aviation, which had performed maintenance on the jet prior to the crash, said the Hawker 800XP was on a “stall flight” when the crash happened, following maintenance work at the company’s Battle Creek Executive Airport facility.
FlightAware data, a website that tracks routes of flights throughout the U.S., shows the plane took off from Battle Creek heading south and then turned northeast until reaching the Lansing area.
According to a recording of aircraft communications between a plane with the matching tail number and the Cleveland Air Traffic Control center, someone aboard the jet requests a “work area” for flight maneuvers. A Cleveland air traffic controller designated the plane a block of altitude from 14,000 to 16,000 feet.
Within seconds, someone aboard the jet can be heard transmitting, “Stall recovery, stall recovery,” in Spanish to air traffic control in a recording by LiveATC.net, a website that collects aircraft communications across the U.S.
Within seconds, the controller attempts to reach the pilots seven times with no response, according to the recording.
Data from FlightAware showed the jet was at about 15,000 feet before tracking ends. The plane was flying at 240 to 260 knots in the moments before the crash before suddenly slowing to 83 knots or 96 mph.
After failing to establish contact, the controller asks Southwest 3149 to look “on the ground” for smoke or a plane.
“We’re looking on the ground?” the Southwest pilot asks.
“Yeah, I think we crashed…” the controller responds, adding, “We just lost them on radar.”
The Southwest pilot then says, “We’ve got burning, smoke.” The pilot says the site appears to be north of a highway.
The plane went down about 5 p.m.
What is Duncan Aviation?
The company said it does airframe inspections and maintenance, engine maintenance and overhauls, major retrofits for cabin and flight deck avionics systems, and full paint/interior refurbishments. Its website said it has major maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in Michigan, Nebraska and Utah, “complemented by strategically located regional shops and mobile teams.”
Duncan Aviation said it is “actively supporting” government agencies involved in the crash investigation. Members of the company’s senior management team went to Battle Creek on Friday morning to support the team there, it said.
“Right now, our focus is on supporting the families and friends of the crew, our team members who worked on the aircraft and developed close relationships with the aircraft’s representatives, and anyone else touched by the tragic event,” company president Mike Minchow said in the statement.
What is a stall?
An airplane stalls when the “critical angle of attack” on the wing has been exceeded. When this occurs, there is a dramatic reduction in the amount of lift being generated for the aircraft. Essentially, the air flow passing over and under the plane’s wings is disrupted, making the craft unable to maintain its altitude.
Pilots in all types of planes practice creating stalls and how to recover from them.
What is a Hawker Beechraft 800XP?
First introduced in 1995, the Hawker 800XP was a variant/replacement of the Hawker 800A/800B, according to All West Aviation Services.
The jets were produced until 2005 with 426 manufactured during that time. Used versions of the plane can cost upward of $4 million.
“The Hawker 800XP’s will always stand out as one of the most popular, reliable mid-sized business jet ever sold,” All West said.
The twin-engine jets are 51.1 feet long, 17.6 feet high and have a wingspan of 51.4 feet. They weight up to 28,120 pounds when fully fueled.
The aircraft has a crew of two and can carry eight passengers.
The jets, powered by Honeywell turbofan engines, have an average cruise speed of 430 knows with a ceiling of 41,000 feet. They have a 2,470 nautical mile range with all seats filled.
Hawker Beechcraft filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012. The company was succeeded by a new Beechcraft company.
Which first responders took part in the incident?
In addition to Bath Township fire and police, Capital Regionn International Airport, Clinton County Central Dispatch, Clinton County Emergency Management, Clinton County Road Commission, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, DeWitt Township police, DeWitt Area fire, Eaton Area Ambulance, Laingsburg police and fire departments, Michigan DNR, Michigan State Police and the Direccion de Analisis de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviacion all assisted with the incident.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Victims in Lansing-area jet crash were Mexican nationals. Where crash investigation stands
Reporting by Dan Basso, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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