Thick Fog And 'Zero Visibility': What We Know About The Galveston Plane Crash
- - Thick Fog And 'Zero Visibility': What We Know About The Galveston Plane Crash
Jenn JordanDecember 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
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A veil of thick coastal fog hung over Galveston Bay on Monday afternoon as a small plane crash left at least six people dead.
The fog may have also complicated rescue efforts along the Texas coast, say witnesses.
A small aircraft belonging to the Mexican Navy, carrying a young medical patient and seven others, went down near the base of the Galveston Causeway. The crash set off an urgent, multi-agency search.
While the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, rapidly changing weather in the area could be a leading theory, if not as the direct cause, then as a major factor hampering the rescue and recovery that followed.
(Sky Decker Jr. via AP)
Fog had been building in the area for days, and by mid-afternoon, visibility had dropped to roughly half a mile.
Some who were nearby say conditions were even worse, with one witness telling local media visibility was "literally zero," adding that the area is notorious for sea fog.
Along this stretch of coast, fog can form quickly and thicken without warning.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it received the first report of the crash at about 3:17 p.m., launching a boat and helicopter to head to the crash site.
Eight people were aboard the plane: four naval officers and four civilians, including a child, according to Mexico’s Navy.
Two of the passengers were affiliated with a nonprofit that helps transport Mexican children with severe burns to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston.
In a brief statement, Mexican officials described the event only as an “incident” during the aircraft’s approach to Galveston.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office deployed its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol officers. Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived to examine the wreckage and determine what went wrong.
As investigators piece together the final moments of the flight, weather conditions, especially the sudden, heavy fog, could be a central focus.
For now, authorities say, the cause of the crash is unknown. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days.
We’ll continue to update this story as we receive developments.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
