At least three people were killed after a Mexican Military medical plane carrying eight on board, including a one-year-old patient, crashed into West Galveston Bay, Texas on Monday, December 22. The plane was travelling to Scholes International Airport at the time of the incident due to heavy fog.
After receiving the information, the relief and rescue crew rushed to the scene and rescued four people, while continuing to search for others. The small military medical aircraft was carrying two pilots and six passengers, including a pediatric patient in need of burn care, likely at Shriner’s Children's Hospital in Galveston.
The aircraft was operating as Flight ANX1209. It was tracked from General Mariano Escobedo International Airport in Monterrey, Mexico, to Scholes International Airport at Galveston on Monday evening. The aircraft approached Galveston at around 3.02 pm when it disappeared from tracking while over the bay, according to flight history data.
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The 911 emergency call regarding the incident was received at 3.07 pm. As per the aviation tracking database, the aircraft associated with callsign ANX1209 is a Beechcraft King Air 350i, operated by Mexico’s Navy, Armada de México. It’s a twin-engine turboprop often used for a range of missions, including transport and surveillance.
Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen said his team, including boats with crew and a dive group, are assisting in the search operation, with the help of the Galveston Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety.