Passengers tell of ‘fall from the sky’
Miraculously, all 103 aboard Aeromexico jet survive runway plummet
It began with a strong burst of wind and pounding hail that pummelled the Aeromexico jetliner minutes after takeoff in northern Mexico, then sent it smashing belly-down onto a field near the runway.
Frightened passengers scrambled to flee as flames and blinding black smoke erupted around them. Miraculously, all 103 on board survived the crash Tuesday.
On Wednesday, passengers described the terrifying sequence of events.
“It’s not every day you kind of fall from the sky and live to tell about it,” said Alberto Herrera, a 35-year-old webpage engineer from Chicago.
Jose Luis Corral, a 52-year-old business owner from Portland, Ore., agreed. “It’s a good thing we’re all alive,” said Corral, who still wore a neck brace from in- juries he suffered in the crash.
“It’s so fast, terrifying to see all the people screaming,” added Corral, who was one of four people who helped the plane’s badly injured pilot escape the blaze. The pilot suffered a serious neck injury and remains hospitalized, along with 48 others injured in the crash.
Officials said the impact ripped both engines off the Embraer 190 jetliner, and fires immediately broke out in the wings. With black smoke filling the cabin, the exits over the wings were blocked by fire.
Mexico’s Transport Department said the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board was sending two investigators to assist in the investigation and the plane’s manufacturer will also participate.
The department did not immediately answer questions about whether the airport was equipped with a Low Level Wind Shear Alert System that can detect weather conditions such as severe down drafts or microbursts.