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An amazing passenger video has emerged from the crash of an Aeromexico flight seconds after takeoff this week – a crash in which nobody was killed, highlighting a little-known fact: in 87% of air crashes, no one dies.

That strange but encouraging statistic was thrown up by US news channel CNN, quoting the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The Aeromexico plane was carrying 103 people and the aircraft was destroyed. Incredible video footage has been posted, shot by passenger Ramin Parsa, who was filming out the window as the plane roared down the runway into howling wind and driving rain. The film keeps rolling and records what’s going on throughout.

Crashes of scheduled jet aircraft are incredibly rare. Among well-known international carriers, crashes are practically non-existent – as rare as anything can be without vanishing altogether.

The crash of the Aeromexico Embraer jet shortly after taking off from an airport in northwestern Mexico made news worldwide because of its rarity – and because everyone survived. Passengers escaped via emergency slides before the aircraft went up in flames.

Experts say the “science of crashworthiness” has vastly improved over the past 20 years.

The highly reliable Aviation Herald related the bare facts of the case: “An Aeromexico Connect Embraer ERJ-190, registration XA-GAL performing flight AM-2431 from Durango to Mexico City (Mexico) with 99 passengers and 4 crew, rejected takeoff from Durango’s runway 03 in adverse weather at about 15:15L (20:15Z), but veered left off the runway, overran the end of the runway and burst into flames in viewing distance of the airport’s apron.

“The aircraft was destroyed, there are no fatalities, 2 people received serious, 83 people received minor injuries. Some occupants already gave TV interviews within 2 hours after the accident.”

Pic of the crashed plane on social media

Authorities have retrieved the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

News media in the US quoted one passenger: “The plane took off, and then it went up and down and back up again and then it slid on the runway.”

Investigators are already working on the case.

Written by Peter Needham