Mexico City – Puerto Vallarta – Mazatlán – Los Angeles

On March 31, 1986 at 09:11 AM, Mexico City – Puerto Vallarta – Mazatlán – Los Angeles experienced a crash involving Boeing 727-200, operated by Mexicana de Aviación, with the event recorded near Mt San Andrés Michoacán.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

167 people were known to be on board, 167 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 8, passengers on board: 159, passenger fatalities: 159, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The three engine aircraft departed Mexico City-Benito Juárez Airport at 0840LT on a regular schedule service to Los Angeles with two intermediate stops in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán, carrying 159 passengers and a crew of eight. While cruising at the assigned altitude of 31,000 feet, an explosion occurred on the left main gear wheel well after a tire burst. Fuel and hydraulic lines were ruptured and electrical cables severed, causing a cabin decompression. The captain declared an emergency and elected to reduce his altitude when the aircraft caught fire after fuel ignited. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed on the slope of Mt San Andrés (3,569 meters high) located 18 km southwest of Maravatio, State of Michoacán. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 167 occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration XA-MEM, MSN 22414, year of manufacture 1981.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 18.3458°, -103.2823°.