Firefighters examine debris from the Mexican DC-9 jetliner that apparently exploded just after takeoff Tuesday

November 10, 1999
Web posted at: 1:12 a.m. EST (0612 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- A Mexican plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Tuesday in a mountainous region of central Mexico, killing all 18 people aboard.

Witnesses on the ground said they saw a bright flash of light in the sky, followed by an explosion.

TAESA Flight 725 went down about five minutes after taking off from the town of Uruapan in the state of Michoacan around 7 p.m. (8 p.m. EST) en route to Mexico City. The crash site is about 180 miles west of Mexico City.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The DC-9 was carrying 13 passengers and five crew members when it burst into a ball of fire. It had originated in Tijuana with 91 passengers, went to Guadalajara and then to Urupuan, with most of the passengers disembarking along the way.

Inspector Juan Alfonso Lara of the state civil protection agency said debris fell in the mountains six miles southwest of Uruapan.

Lara said rescue crews were in the area, but there was no chance of finding survivors from the plane. "It was completely destroyed," he said.

MESSAGE BOARD Plane crashes

At the airport in Mexico City, relatives of those aboard the plane hugged each other and tried to console each other.

TAESA was founded in 1988 as an air taxi and expanded to commercial operations in 1991, using low cost fares to challenge established Mexican carriers.

Uruapan, a city of 250,000 dating back to the 16th century, is known for its avocado production. Tourists frequently stay there when visiting the Paricutin volcano, 20 miles to the west. The volcano is famous for having risen from a cornfield in 1943.

Correspondent Harris Whitbeck and The Associated Press contributed to this report.