When looking at images from the fiery crash of an Embraer 190 near the General Guadelupe Victoria International Airport in Durango, Mexico on Tuesday, it’s hard to believe that everyone on board the airplane survived the event. Aeromexico Flight 2134 attempted to take off in a storm on its way from Durango to Mexico City, when the airplane impacted the ground and caught fire shortly after becoming airborne, NBC reported. On board the aircraft were 99 passengers, two pilots, and two flight attendants.
While there were no fatalities, about half of the passengers suffered injuries of varied severity. During a press conference after the accident, Andres Conesa, the CEO of Grupo Aeromexico, described the airline’s grief. “Our heart is with those affected and their families. We are deeply saddened and moved by this incident, and we would like to reiterate, first of all, that the Grupo Aeromexico family extends its support, thoughts, and prayers to those affected and their families. We are doing everything in our power to assist them,” Conesa said.
The aircraft, which carried the registration of XA-GAL, was built in 2008, and has flown with Aeromexico since 2014, the airline said.
Embraer also released a statement about the crash, offering its assistance in the investigation. “The Company stands ready to support the investigating authorities. To that end, a team of Embraer technicians has been deployed to the scene of the accident,” the Brazilian company said.
David Gleave, a crash investigator and air safety consultant in the U.K., described to NBC that the lack of fatalities was due the developments of modern air travel. “It’s not a miracle,” he said. “This is a design-based accident that should be survivable. We’ve worked long and hard in the industry to ensure that an event like this is something that people can walk away from, that the seats don’t slide forward on impact, that limbs are protected. The safety of passengers is no accident.”
