A Mexican-registered Hawker 800XP business jet crashed near Bath, Michigan, on Thursday evening, October 16, killing all three people aboard.
The private jet, registered XA-JMR and operated by Mexican carrier Aerolíneas del Centro SA, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Clark and Peacock Roads inside the Rose Lake State Wildlife Research Area, northeast of Lansing, around 5 p.m. local time.
ADS-B tracking data captured the final moments of the flight, showing that the airplane entered a sudden descent from an altitude of 14,775 feet and crashed within 30 seconds. The rapid descent rate suggests a catastrophic loss of control, structural failure, or other critical emergency that prevented the crew from recovering the aircraft.
The Aviation Safety Network reported that the plane was completely destroyed in the high-impact crash, with all three occupants perishing at the scene.
Tracking data shows the plane departed Battle Creek Executive Airport (Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport) at 5:08 p.m., just minutes before the crash occurred. The aircraft flew northeast until reaching an area north of Interstate 69, where its flight track abruptly ended.
The short duration between takeoff and the crash—approximately 19 minutes—has led to speculation that this was a post-maintenance test flight, with some aviation observers suggesting it may have involved a stall recovery test that went catastrophically wrong.
The crash occurred near Clark and Peacock Roads in Bath Township’s Rose Lake State Wildlife Research Area, forcing police to close both directions of Clark Road at Peacock. Bath Township Police Chief Matt Mardigian indicated authorities expected to remain on scene for at least 24 hours.
First responders included Bath Township Police Department, Bath Township Fire Department, Clinton County Emergency Management, Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Dewitt Township Police Department, Dewitt Township Fire Department, and Laingsburg Fire Department.
All three occupants were found and confirmed dead at the crash site. The identities of the victims have not been released pending notification of families. It remains unclear whether the occupants were crew members conducting the test flight or if passengers were aboard.
