ANX1209

On December 22, 2025, about 1505 central standard time, a Beechcraft B300, ANX1209, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Galveston, Texas. The pilot, co-pilot, two flight crew, two passengers were fatally injured and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by the Mexican Navy.

Review of recorded communications between Houston Approach Control and flight crew revealed that at 2048:24, the flight crew established radio communications with the controller while enroute to the Scholes International Airport (GLS), Galveston, Texas. At 2048:38, the controller advised the flight crew that the approach into GLS would be vectors to final and queried if the flight was a medivac flight, to which the flight crew confirmed. At 2048:40, the controller advised the flight crew to turn 10° right, maintain 3,000 ft, vectors for the ILS. At 2048:49, the approach controller changed the approach clearance to the RNAV approach 14. At 2048:52, the flight crew responded with, “right and 10° right.” At 2049:18, the controller advised the flight crew to descend and maintain 3,000 ft and expect vectors for the RNAV. At 2049:26, the flight crew responded with, maintain 3,000, expect vectors to the runway.

At 2052:43, the flight crew queried the approach controller to determine which runway was in use. At 2052:54, the controller advised the flight crew, that RNAV 14 was in use, and that the GLS tower had advised the ceilings were 300 ft and queried the flight crew if they would like to continue with the approach, to which the flight crew responded with yes. At 2054:28, the controller instructed the flight crew to fly heading 310 descend and maintain 2,000, to which the flight crew responded with, “descend and maintain two three thousand, heading three one zero.” At 2054:42, the controller advised the flight crew, their assigned altitude is 2,000 and the heading was correct, which the flight crew acknowledged. At 2055:08, the controller advised the flight crew that in the event of a missed approach, fly 250 and maintain 2,000 followed by an acknowledgement from the flight crew. At 2055:42, the controller advised the flight crew to reduce speed to 170, which was acknowledged by the flight crew. At 2056:22, the controller advised the flight crew to turn left to a heading of 220 and the flight crew responded with, heading 220. At 2057:34, the controller advised the flight crew to fly heading 150, “to join,” which was acknowledged by the flight crew. At 2057:46, the controller advised the flight crew that because they didn’t make the turn, fly heading 100 “to join,” which the flight crew responded with 100.

At 2058:08 the controller advised the flight crew, once established they were cleared for the RNAV 14, and advised the flight crew a second time at 2058:40, they were cleared for RNAV 14. At 2058:49, the flight crew responded with, cleared to land runway one four. At 2058:53, the controller advised the flight crew that they were not cleared to land, that they were cleared for the RNAV. At 2059:02, the controller advised the flight crew that they were cleared for the RNAV, they were not cleared to land. At 2059:09, the controller advised the flight crew to contact the tower, which was acknowledged by the flight crew. The controller subsequently issued multiple low altitude alerts; however, there received no further radio communication from the flight crew.

Recorded ADS-B data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) showed that flight track started about 13 miles northeast of the Merida International Airport (MMMD), Merida, Mexico at 1854:42, the airplane was on a northwest heading, at an altitude of about 12,025 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane continued to climb to an altitude of about 27,500 ft. At 2034:49 the airplane continued on a northwest heading and initiated a decent to about 3,000 ft msl. At 2049:03 the airplane made a turn to a north – northwest heading and continued to descend. At 2056:39, at an altitude of about 1,950 ft msl, the airplane made a left turn to a southwest heading, consistent with radar vectors for the GPS 14 approach to GLS. At 2057:59, at an altitude of about 1,950 ft msl, the airplane made a left turn to a southern heading, consistent with radar vectors to the final approach course for the GPS 14 approach. At 2059:31, the data showed that the airplane initiated a descent, until ADS-B contact was lost. The last ADS-B target was at an altitude of 275 ft msl, about 3 miles northwest of GLS.

Figure 1: View of accident airplane flight track.

Witnesses near the accident reported hearing an airplane over flying their location. One witness reported that, he heard the sound of the airplane’s engine “pull back” and then go to full power as if they were going to attempt a go-around before the sound stopped. Other witnesses who were on a boat, briefly heard, and then saw the airplane overfly their location, followed by a sound consistent with the airplane impacting the water. Numerous witnesses reported that the weather conditions at the time of the accident was fog with limited visibility.

Recorded weather for GLS at 2215, included wind from 100° at 5 knots, visibility of ¼ statute mile, vertical visibility at 200 ft above ground level (agl), temperature of 69°F and dew point temperature of 69°F, altimeter setting of 30.21 inches of mercury.

Local law enforcement searched for and located the airplane wreckage about ½ mile from the Galveston shoreline in the waters of West Bay at a depth of about 5 to 10 ft. The debris path was oriented on a southern heading and was about 200 ft in length. The fuselage, both wings, engines and empennage were located within the debris path. The airplane was recovered from the water and transported to a secure location for further examination.