A Mexican Navy Beech King Air operating as a medical aircraft on a cross-border patient transport mission crashed into Galveston Bay in Texas on December 22, 2025, killing at least five people and prompting a multi-agency search and rescue response, authorities said.
The twin-engine turboprop was flying from Mérida, Mexico, to Galveston when it went down near the Galveston Causeway during its approach to land. The aircraft was carrying eight people, including a pediatric burn patient, medical personnel, and crew members, according to Mexican and US officials.
Mexico’s navy confirmed that the aircraft was conducting a medical support flight in coordination with a nonprofit organization that helps arrange specialized treatment for children with severe burns. The patient was being transported from the Mexican state of Yucatán to a pediatric hospital in Texas known for burn care, officials said.
Authorities reported that two people survived the crash and were taken to area hospitals. Search efforts continued for at least one person initially reported missing, while recovery operations were underway at the crash site. Officials later confirmed that at least five people on board had died.
US Coast Guard officials said they received a report of an aircraft down in the bay shortly after mid-afternoon. Rescue boats and helicopters were dispatched, with support from local police, fire departments, and marine rescue teams. The crash occurred in an area experiencing reduced visibility due to fog.
The King Air was approaching Galveston at the time of the accident, though officials have not released details on the aircraft’s altitude, speed, or communications with air traffic control in the moments before the crash.
Both US and Mexican authorities have launched investigations into the accident. The Texas Department of Public Safety said it is assisting at the scene, while federal aviation authorities are expected to take the lead on the US side. Mexican officials said they are working closely with US investigators as part of the inquiry.
Investigators will examine flight data, weather conditions, and aircraft systems as part of the investigation. Officials said it was too early to determine what caused the crash and emphasized that a full analysis would be required before drawing conclusions.
The accident marks the second fatal crash in the US this year involving a medical transport flight carrying a Mexican patient. In a separate incident earlier in the year, a medical aircraft transporting a child home after treatment crashed shortly after takeoff, killing everyone on board and one person on the ground.
