Remarkably, all 103 passengers and crew onboard Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431 from General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport, Durango State bound for Mexico City have survived a major crash in which the plane was completely destroyed. The accident happened at approximately 3.45pm local time in what has been described as stormy weather conditions.
Early reports indicate that it was just after the point of take off from the high-altitude airport in Durango State that the plane was struck by high winds, which forced it to lose speed and hit the ground with its left wing, subsequently detaching both engines.
As the plane skidded further along the runway, this allowed sufficient time for escape slides to be deployed, enabling all passengers and crew to escape before the jet caught fire. The plane came to a standstill in a field approximately 500 meters beyond the end of the runway.
Of the 99 passengers and four crew members two, including one of the pilots, were severely injured, though those injuries are not believed to be life threatening. While everyone on board was taken to local hospitals, Aeromexico confirmed that 64 of the passengers had subsequently been discharged by this morning.
The plane, an Embraer 190AR acquired by Aeroméxico Connect in 2014, was destroyed by fire which ripped through the aircraft shortly after the crash happened. In a statement issued by the manufacturer, Embraer confirmed that technicians had already been dispatched to the crash site and stated that it was: “aware of the accident. The Company stands ready to support the investigating authorities.”
