TAESA Flight 725
XA-TKN, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 9 November 1999 |
| Summary | Pilot error and spatial disorientation resulting in a deep stall and loss of control |
| Site | Near Uruapan International Airport, Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 |
| Operator | TAESA Lineas Aéreas |
| Registration | XA-TKN |
| Flight origin | Tijuana International Airport, Tijuana, Baja California |
| 1st stopover | Guadalajara International Airport, Guadalajara, Jalisco |
| Last stopover | Uruapan International Airport, Uruapan, Michoacán |
| Destination | Mexico City International Airport, Mexico City |
| Occupants | 18 |
| Passengers | 13 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 18 |
| Survivors | 0 |
TAESA Flight 725 was a scheduled flight originating in Tijuana International Airport and ending at Mexico City International Airport with intermediate stopovers in Guadalajara and Uruapan, that crashed shortly after departure from the latter city's airport on November 9, 1999, killing all 18 passengers and crew on board. The crash led TAESA to ground its fleet and suspend operations a year later in 2000.
Investigators determined that the crew did not use the appropriate checklists prior to departure, and during the climbout, the pilots were confused about which heading to follow. Spatial disorientation was also believed to be a factor in the crash.