GALVESTON, Texas – At least five people have died in a plane crash near the base of the causeway in Galveston on Monday, authorities told KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston.
Authorities said the small Mexican Navy aircraft was traveling to Galveston when it crashed, KPRC said.
Air traffic controllers had lost communication with the plane for approximately 10 minutes before the crash.
It’s unclear if the weather was a direct factor in the crash. However, the area had been experiencing foggy conditions for the past several days.
Four Mexican Navy officers and four civilians, including a child, were aboard the plane, according to the country’s military.
Two of the passengers were affiliated with a nonprofit that helps transport Mexican children with severe burns to a hospital in Galveston.
Of the eight people, the Consulate of Mexico told KPRC that five are confirmed dead, one person is missing and presumed dead and two survived.
The Secretariat of the Navy later released the identities of the eight people aboard the plane, according to KPRC.
Members of the Mexican Navy who died:
- Lieutenant A.N. P.A. Víctor Rafael Pérez Hernández.
- Lieutenant S.S.N. Juan Iván Zaragoza Flores.
- Marinero A.N. E. Av. Guadalupe Flores Barranco.
Missing (presumed deceased):
- Lieutenant A.N. P.A. Luis Enrique Castillo Terrones.
Passengers who died:
- Federico Efraín Ramírez Cruz (Patient).
- Juan Alfonso Adame González (Doctor).
Survivors:
- Julia Aracelis Cruz Vera (Companion).
- Miriam de Jesús Rosas Mancilla (Nurse).
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials are assisting multiple agencies in this investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.