Proteccion Civil Durango via Reuters
A Mexican airliner crashed immediately after takeoff on Tuesday, but the 97 passengers and four crew members on board survived the accident, with mostly only minor injuries reported. The plane, operated by Aeromexico, was heading to Mexico City from Durango when it crashed into a field outside Guadalupe Victoria International Airport, sending plumes of black smoke and flames shooting up into the sky. Forty-nine people were hospitalized, and the pilot and one passenger were left in “critical but stable condition,” according to Durango Gov. José R. Aispuro. Aispuro said the plane had been hit by a strong gust of wind as it took off, causing the aircraft’s left wing to hit the ground and knocking both engines loose. Israel Solano Mejia, the head of Durango’s civil defense agency, told local media the plane “fell nose-first” right after taking off, leaving the pilot “the most seriously injured.”