GARCÍA, MEXICO — Débora Estrella, a beloved 43-year-old television host from Monterrey, was killed on Saturday when the small plane she was in crashed during a flying lesson. The pilot, Bryan Leonardo Ballesteros Argueta, also died in the incident, which was captured in a dramatic video by a ground-level witness.
The crash occurred on the afternoon of September 20 in the municipality of García, Nuevo León. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause.
The Final Flight
The tragic incident happened just hours after Estrella excitedly shared a photo of the aircraft on Instagram. "Guess what?" she wrote in Spanish, announcing to her followers that she was about to take a flying lesson from the Aeropuerto Internacional del Norte.
Disturbing footage that later surfaced shows the small plane hurtling low and fast across the sky. The aircraft then plummets toward the ground before crashing inside the Parque Industrial Ciudad Mitras. Emergency services, including civil protection and firefighters, responded to the scene where both occupants were found to have died on impact.
A Respected Journalist
Born in Monterrey, Débora Estrella was a prominent figure in Mexican media. She was a presenter for Telediario Matutino in Monterrey and a frequent presence on national news programs through Grupo Multimedios and Milenio Televisión. She began her career in university radio while studying to be a lawyer at the prestigious ITESM (Tec de Monterrey).
In a tragic twist, Estrella's ex-husband, fellow TV host José Luis García, reportedly announced the news of the plane crash on a live broadcast before he was aware that she was one of the victims.
Tributes and Investigation
News of Estrella's death sent a shockwave through Mexico's journalism community. Her employer, Grupo Multimedios, and the Government of Nuevo León issued statements of condolence, mourning the loss of a respected professional.
Her colleague, Joel Valdez, shared a heartfelt tribute. "This morning we were still playing and joking on the newscast," he wrote. "Thank you for always being such a good friend and coworker, for being such a beautiful human being... An honor to have shared spaces and coverage with you."
The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics and the Nuevo León state prosecutor's office are conducting parallel investigations to determine the cause of the crash.
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