An MD-87 with 21 persons on board has caught fire after crashing near Houston Executive Airport.
At Houston Executive Waller County Airport, a corporate McDD MD-87 (reg. N987AK) crashed behind the runway and burst into flames.
UPDATE The plane was taking off to the north when it overran runway 36 during an aborted take-off and ended up 400 meters north of the perimeter fence, where it caught fire and burned to death.
There have been no serious injuries, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
On October 19, 2021, at around 10:08 a.m. local time, a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 caught fire and exploded into flames while attempting to take off at Houston Executive Airport (TME) in Waller County, Texas.
According to flight safety analyst JACDEC, the 33-year-old aircraft (registered N987AK) was aborting take-off when it overran runway 36 of the airport, crashed into a perimeter fence, and ended up 300 meters north where it caught fire.
The aircraft overran runway 36 during an aborted take-off across the perimeter fence and ended about 300 m further north where it caught fire and burned to destruction. All 21 onboard reportedly survived.@abc13houston pic.twitter.com/RTFGlAztUS
— JACDEC (@JacdecNew) October 19, 2021
All 21 people onboard—18 passengers and three staff members—were able to safely exit the plane. The Waller County Sheriff’s Office told local media that two persons were sent to area hospitals. One guy suffered a minor back injury, while the other was having breathing problems.
LIVE VIDEO: Plane crash near Houston Executive Airport under investigation. All 21 people on board got out safely https://t.co/x6sSItY2NM pic.twitter.com/YfKshS2ZDS
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) October 19, 2021
According to KHOU 11 Houston, James Alan Kent, a famous Houston businessman, and rodeo director, is the plane’s owner and one of the survivors.
Kent, his wife, and their 10-year-old son were on their way to Boston for the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and the Astros.
A passenger who did not want to be identified told KHOU 11, “It was going to be the trip of a lifetime and then I came to a quick halt! Going down the runway, and just all a sudden they slammed on the brakes.
” “Things were flying around and when it finally came to a stop, they just said ‘Get out, get out because we thought it was going to explode,” the passenger said. “It was already on fire before we got out of it!” A spokesperson for Kent released this statement regarding the incident.
The Ntsb has announced that a team would be formed to investigate the accident.
The NTSB is launching a go-team to investigate Tuesday’s crash of a MD-87 airplane near Brookshire, Texas. Check Twitter @ntsb_newsrooom for updates.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) October 19, 2021