A plane taking off from Houston Executive Airport in Katy, Texas, crashed on Tuesday in a nearby field, however the passengers managed to survive the incident.
The aircraft, identified as a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 owned by a Texas company, was unable to gain altitude at the end of the runway and rolled through a fence, Fox 26 reported. The 21 passengers on board, including 18 passengers and three crew members, were all evacuated safely following the crash, according to officials who spoke with Fox 26. (RELATED: Plane Crash Near San Diego High School Kills 2, Destroys 2 Homes)
Two individuals were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital for minor injuries, Fox 26 reported.
“The information we have at this time indicates that the plane […] went across Morton Road, coming to a rest in the field just north of the airport, where it caught on fire,” said Waller County Judge, Trey Duhon, in a Facebook post.
The live video footage shows first responders at the crash site putting out the remaining flames on the downed plane. Everything but the tail of the aircraft burned entirely, as a result of the fire. The smoke was seen for miles.
“We’re not sure really why it caught on fire,” said Sergeant Stephen Woodard of the Texas Department of Public Safety during a press conference. “Not sure if it was because it hit the structure.”
LIVE: Crews have responded to a plane crash in Katy, Texas, which is near Houston. https://t.co/lem63EmioI
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) October 19, 2021
The owner’s wife confirmed to KHOU 11 that the plane was headed to Boston for Game 4 of the MLB American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
“Anytime you have a plane that doesn’t make a landing on the runway like it should, we’re always expecting the worst but hoping for the best,” Waller-Harris Emergency Services Chief Tim Gibson said at a press conference. “Today we absolutely, positively got the best outcome we could hope for in this incident.” (RELATED: Small Plane Crashes After Takeoff Killing 4)
The National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the investigation into the crash.