Galveston plane crash: NTSB releases preliminary report following December 2025 plane crash that killed 6

GALVESTON, Texas - The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report following a December 2025 plane crash that killed six people and seriously injured two others in Galveston. 

What we know:

The plane, which was being operated by the Mexican Navy, involved a Beechcraft B300 (King Air), departed from Merida, Mexico headed for Galveston on December 22, 2025.

The NTSB highlighted several critical factors that may have led to the crash:

According to the report, officials said there were numerous factors including:

• Extreme low visibility: Witnesses and weather stations reported heavy fog at the time of the crash. The clouds were as low as 200 to 300 feet, and visibility was limited.
• Communication errors and confusion: The report stated the pilots and the air traffic controller seemed to have several misunderstandings. At one point, the pilot repeated back an altitude of "two three thousand" (23,000 ft) when told to stay at 2,000 ft. Later, the pilot thought they were "cleared to land," but the controller had to correct them twice, stating they were only cleared to follow the approach path, not to touch down yet.
• During the approach, the report stated the plane failed to make an assigned turn to "join" the final path to the runway, forcing the controller to give the pilots a new flight heading.
• Radar data showed the plan began a steady descent from about 2,000, according to the report. The last recorded data point showed the plane at only 275 feet while still three miles away from the airport.
• Possible last-minute maneuver: According to the report, a witness stated they heard the engines "pull back" and then go to "full power", as if they were going to attempt a go-around before the sound stopped.

A total of eight people were on board the plane. Six people, the pilot, co-pilot, two flight crew, and two passengers died, two other passengers were seriously injured. 

What's next:

The final cause of the crash has not been determined. That report will be released at a later date.