Late Thursday afternoon, a business jet registered in Mexico crashed just moments after takeoff in Bath Township, Michigan, killing all three people onboard. What began as a routine flight quickly spiraled into tragedy, and investigators are now racing to piece together exactly what went wrong.
The aircraft was a Hawker 800XP, bearing the registration XA-JMR, reportedly owned by Aero Línea del Centro S.A. de C.V., a company based in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and believed to be linked to the JM Romo Group. Officials say the jet departed Battle Creek Executive Airport (Kellogg Field) at about 5:10 p.m. local time, bound for a destination in Michigan, when disaster struck.
Within barely a minute of liftoff, the jet went into a steep, uncommanded descent—from around 14,700 to 14,800 ft—before crashing into a wooded area along Clark Road, between Peacock and Upton Roads in Clinton County. Witnesses in the vicinity reported hearing a massive explosion, then seeing smoke rising high above the treetops.
First responders from Bath Township Fire & Police, along with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police, rushed to the scene. They found the wreckage almost completely destroyed by impact and fire—little remained of the fuselage or wings. Tragically, all three occupants were declared dead at the scene. The victims included two European pilots—one identified as Paco del Moral, the other as Álvaro “N.”—and an American mechanic, whose name has not yet been publicly released.
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have taken over the probe. Early tracking data from ADS-B suggests the descent took place in under 30 seconds, indicating a sudden and catastrophic malfunction or loss of control. Michigan State Police have sealed off the crash zone; a police helicopter is assisting search and recovery efforts.
Locally in Aguascalientes, the news has sent shockwaves through business and aviation circles tied to the JM Romo Group. Though associated with the jet, the group has not yet issued an official comment. Meanwhile, authorities warn it may be days before the identities of all victims can be officially confirmed, once next-of-kin are notified.
As the community reels, the big questions loom: Was this a mechanical failure? Pilot error? Or some rare confluence of factors yet unseen? In the coming hours and days, investigators will comb flight logs, maintenance records, onboard systems data, and wreckage debris. Until then, the memory of that fiery crash in the trees will hang heavy in the skies of Bath Township—and beyond.
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