A 62-year-old man was killed and five people including four Canadians were injured when a light plane made a forced landing on a beach in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, on Sunday.
A Cessna aircraft carrying a group of skydivers came down on Bacocho Beach at around midday and collided with a structure used as a turtle camp.
🚨💥🛩️🇲🇽 Una #Cessna #208B #GrandCaravan, matrícula #N80GE de #SkyDive #PuertoEscondido, con 17 extranjeros a bordo, se estrelló en la playa #Bachoco sobre un bañista, causando su muerte en #Oaxaca. #ULTIMAHORA #AirCrash #AccidenteAereo #planecrash pic.twitter.com/sAVtlncJkg
— Rescate y Accidentes Aereos (@aeroaccidentes) February 12, 2024
According to a statement posted online by state Civil Protection authorities, the 62-year-old victim was on the beach with his wife when the accident occurred. The Associated Press reported that the plane — operated by the company Sky Dive Puerto Escondido — “landed almost on top of the victim.”
Four Canadians aged 60, 59, 41 and 35 and a 40-year-old Puerto Escondido local were injured and taken to hospital for treatment, according to Civil Protection authorities. They were reported to be in stable condition.
Local firefighters and paramedics responded to the incident, and security forces including the army, National Guard and state and municipal police attended the scene.
The five injured people were among 17 people on board the light plane, according to the El Universal newspaper. Citing preliminary reports, Civil Protection authorities said that a “forced landing” was reported, but didn’t mention any reason why such a landing was necessary.
The newspaper El Imparcial de Oaxaca reported that a mechanical failure forced the aircraft’s pilot to land on Bacocho Beach, located west of Zicatela Beach, Puerto Escondido’s most famous surfing beach.
El Imparcial identified the man who died as Armando D.C., a tourist from San Bartolo Coyotepec, a municipality near Oaxaca city. His wife was not injured but was reportedly distraught by the situation.
Authorities didn’t identify the injured people by name.
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz said on the X social media platform that his government will provide “all necessary support” to the family of the deceased man. He described his death as an “irreparable loss.”
With reports from El Universal and El Imparcial
