At least 2 injuries reported after plane crash in Waller County, Texas
Oct 19, 2021, 12:38 PM
(CNN) — A Boston-bound plane carrying more than 20 people crashed while taking off at Houston Executive Airport on Tuesday morning, officials said.
All passengers and crew were safely removed with at least one minor injury, Waller County Judge Trey Duhon reported via Facebook.
“The information we have at this time indicates that the plane did not attain altitude at the end of the runway and went across Morton Road, coming to a rest in the field just north of the airport, where it caught on fire,” the judge said.
One person reported back pain, according to the post.
Another person had respiratory issues, according to Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sgt. Stephen Woodard, who was at the crash site. Both were transported to a hospital but later returned to the airport.
“This is a good day. This is actually a day of celebration for a lot of people,” Woodard said.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-87 “rolled through a fence and caught fire in a field” just after 10 a.m. while attempting to depart, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement.
Woodard said there were 18 passengers, two pilots and an attendant on board. He had earlier said there were 22 people on the plane.
The youngest passenger was 10 years old, according to the sergeant.
The fire has been extinguished, Woodard said.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be investigating, with the NTSB as the lead agency.
Waller County Office of Emergency Management tweeted the crash involved an “aircraft that was taking off from the Airport heading north.”
The plane traveled about 500 feet on the runaway before the crash, Woodard said.
First responders were seen at the site where the plane appeared to stop across a dirt path and caught fire, according to news footage.
The tail number indicates the aircraft is an MD-87, according to affiliate footage.
Tim Gibson, director of the Waller Harris Emergency Services District 200, said all passengers had “self-extricated” and the teams assisted them from the field where the plane crashed.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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