The 1969 Learjet 25 that crashed in the early morning of December 9, killing singer Jenni Rivera and six others, was owned by Las Vegas-based Starwood Management LLC. But the company said the fatal flight was not a charter. Rather, it was described as a final demonstration flight in anticipation of Rivera purchasing the jet for $250,000.
At the controls were 78-year-old Miguel Perez Soto, PIC, and a “green” copilot, Alejandro Torres. Investigators are focusing on the separate possibilities of mechanical failure and pilot incapacitation. Reports say 10 minutes into the flight from Monterrey, Mexico, to Toluca, the twinjet descended from 28,000 feet to the ground in 30 seconds, traveling only 1.5 miles laterally from the start of the descent to the point of impact.
