Memphis - Addison

On December 16, 1988 at 12:00 AM, Memphis - Addison experienced a crash involving Learjet 24, operated by Crown Center Aviation, with the event recorded near Cuatro Ciénegas Coahuila.

The flight was categorized as executive/corporate/business and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The crew departed Memphis on a flight to Addison, Texas. En route, the crew was cleared to climb to FL300 but the aircraft continued to climb without authorization until FL440. ATC tried to contact the crew without success. It was decided to dispatch a USAF Northrop T-38 Talon fighter and his pilot confirmed that the cockpit windows were covered by frost and that he was unable to contact the crew. The aircraft continued its route to the south, entered the Mexican airspace and few minutes later, after both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion, the aircraft entered a dive and crashed near Cuatro Ciénegas. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and both pilots were killed, among them the NASA astronaut-candidate Susan Reynolds aged 27.

Aircraft reference details include registration N234CM, MSN 24-214, year of manufacture 1970.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 26.9803°, -102.0580°.