Two people remain in serious condition following the crash of Aeroméxico flight AM2431 shortly after it took off yesterday afternoon from the Guadalupe Victoria airport in Durango.
The pilot of the aircraft and a two-year-old girl are in serious but stable condition this morning, said Durango Governor José Rosas Aispuro.
Carlos Galván Meyran, who is being hailed as a hero for his handling of the plane, underwent back surgery last night while the young girl is being treated for burns to 25% of her body.
Eight-five of the 103 people on board the plane were injured, but as of this morning 64 of those had been released from hospital.
The governor said that according to an assessment of the accident by the airport’s control tower, a sudden gust of wind struck the plane as it was taking off during a hailstorm. One wing touched the ground a few hundred yards beyond the end of the runway, knocking the two engines loose.
The plane skidded along the ground, coming to rest in a horizontal position in a field. Passengers and crew were able to get off the plane on escape slides before it caught fire.
Aeroméxico general manager Andrés Conesa said timely action by the flight crew prevented any loss of life among the passengers. He said the 10-year-old Embraer 190 airplane, which was en route to Mexico City, was current with safety requirements and had been serviced in February.
The airline will reimburse injured passengers for all the expenses incurred as a result of the accident and free transportation will be provided to family members, Conesa said.
