A private jet crashed into a warehouse near Toluca International Airport in Mexico on December 15, 2025, killing all 10 people on board, including three young children believed to be from the same family.
The Cessna Citation III crashed around 12:30 p.m. local time in San Mateo Atenco, approximately 30 miles west of Mexico City. The aircraft had departed from Acapulco and was attempting an emergency landing when it struck the warehouse on an industrial estate.
Among the deceased were three children: a four-year-old boy named Raul, a nine-year-old girl named Ximena, and a two-year-old girl named Natalia. Five adult passengers and two pilots also perished in the crash.
The pilot was identified as Juan Carlos Olivares Casas, aged 61, and his co-pilot as Walding Sanchez Manzano, aged 72. The adult passengers were identified as Raul Gomez Ruiz, 60; Olga Janine Buenfil Cardone, 60; Gustavo Palomino Olet, 50; Ilse Lizeth Hernandez Tellez, 32; and Raul Gomez Buenfil, 31.
In the final moments before impact, the pilot communicated with air traffic controllers. “We’re crashing,” the pilot said, according to the last recorded conversation.
The aircraft operated by JetPro, an air taxi service with a fleet of 11 jets and four helicopters, struck a football pitch before hitting the warehouse. The impact triggered a massive fire at the crash site, sending thick plumes of black smoke into the sky visible for miles.
The warehouse was unoccupied at the time of the crash, preventing additional casualties on the ground. Local authorities indicated that between 130 and 150 people were evacuated from the surrounding area as a precautionary measure.
“Two blocks around the premises the plane crashed into had to be evacuated because of the fuel and gas tanks inside,” said Cristobal Castaneda, Minister of Public Security for the State of Mexico. The evacuation was carried out as a precautionary measure due to concerns about potential secondary explosions from the fuel and gas tanks stored in the warehouse.
The crash occurred on an industrial estate near Toluca Airport, which was the jet’s intended destination. The aircraft had been in flight for approximately half an hour after departing from the Pacific resort city of Acapulco.
Investigators are examining the theory that an engine problem may have caused the crash. The investigation into the accident remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the exact cause of the emergency that led to the attempted landing.
Private aviation accidents involving business jets like the Cessna Citation III, while relatively rare, often result in catastrophic outcomes due to the high speeds and altitudes at which these aircraft operate. The Citation III is a popular business jet manufactured by Cessna, part of Textron Aviation, and has been in service since the 1980s. These twin-engine aircraft can carry up to nine passengers and typically cruise at altitudes above 40,000 feet.
Emergency landing procedures for aircraft experiencing mechanical failures require pilots to quickly identify suitable landing areas while managing the aircraft’s descent and speed. When conventional runways are unavailable, pilots may attempt to land on open fields, roads, or other flat surfaces. The decision to attempt a landing on a soccer pitch suggests the crew was dealing with a critical emergency that required immediate action.
Aircraft fires following crashes present particular challenges for emergency responders. Aviation fuel is highly flammable, and the presence of additional hazardous materials, such as the fuel and gas tanks stored in the impacted warehouse compounds, poses a danger. Firefighters must balance the urgency of potential rescue operations against the risk of explosions and toxic fumes.
JetPro, which operates the air taxi service involved in the crash, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the accident. Air taxi services have become increasingly popular in Mexico, offering wealthy individuals and business travelers an alternative to commercial aviation with greater flexibility in scheduling and destinations.
Another aviation company, Servicios Aereos Estrella, was initially misidentified as the operator of the crashed aircraft. The company issued a statement clarifying that the plane was not theirs and was not operated under their authority, while expressing condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
The jet’s impact caused substantial damage to the warehouse structure, and the subsequent fire required extensive efforts by emergency services to extinguish. The football pitch where the aircraft initially made contact showed evidence of the violent impact before the jet continued into the warehouse building.
Aviation investigators will examine multiple factors in determining the cause of the crash, including aircraft maintenance records, weather conditions at the time of the incident, cockpit voice recordings, if available, and any recovered components that might indicate mechanical failure. Engine problems, as investigators theorize, can manifest in various ways, including loss of power, fire, or structural failure of engine components.