TORREÓN, Mexico: The wreckage of a private jet that was flying from Las Vegas to Monterrey, in northern Mexico, was found Monday, an official said, after the plane disappeared with 14 people believed to be on board.
Air-traffic controllers said they lost contact with the Bombardier Challenger 601 jet on Sunday evening, after it abruptly lost altitude over the state of Coahuila, in northern Mexico.
Authorities flying over the area Monday spotted wreckage whose characteristics matched that of the missing jet.
“Everything indicates it is the plane” that went missing, said Miguel Villarreal, head of the Monclova International Airport in Coahuila.
“The flight plan reported there were 11 passengers on board, plus the crew. We are waiting for (emergency workers) to reach the site to confirm the plane’s registration number,” he told local TV station Multimedios.
According to Mexican media reports, authorities believe there were three crew members on the flight, and that the charter jet was flying a group of passengers back from Saturday night’s middleweight title fight in Las Vegas, in which Mexican boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defeated Daniel Jacobs of the United States.
Images of the wreckage on Mexican TV showed the plane’s wings and tail on the ground, surrounded by the charred and shattered remains of the rest of the fuselage.