At least five people were killed overnight between Monday and Tuesday when a small plane crashed near Galveston Island in Texas. Among the dead was a 2-year-old child.
The aircraft was transporting medical patients. Two of those on board were members of the nonprofit organization that helps Mexican children who have suffered severe burns. Eight people were on the plane in total, four Mexican navy officers and four civilians. Two passengers were found alive, though their condition was not disclosed. One person remains missing.
The crash in Texas
(Video: ABC Affiliate KTRK)
The plane took off from Merida, the capital of Mexico’s Yucatan state, and crashed into the water near a base on Galveston Island, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. Mexico’s navy said in a statement that the aircraft was taking part in a medical mission and was involved in an “accident.” It said it would investigate the cause of the crash and is assisting local authorities in the search-and-rescue operation.
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the crash site. The Galveston County sheriff’s office said divers, crime scene investigators, a drone unit and patrol officers were also deployed. “The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available,” the sheriff said, urging the public to avoid the area so emergency crews can work safely.
The circumstances of the crash are still under investigation, including whether the weather was a factor. The area has experienced heavy fog in recent days, and the National Weather Service reported visibility of about half a mile around the time of the crash.
Billy Howell, who works at a local fishing shop, told CNN affiliate KTRK that visibility was “literally zero” at the time of the crash. He said such conditions are not unusual in the area, where fog can form within minutes. “As the sea fog goes and the wind blows and changes directions, the fog does get a lot more dense,” Howell said.
First published: 06:07, 12.23.25