PORTLAND, Ore. — A Northeast Portland family is back home and resting after surviving a place crash in Mexico.
“It’s a story that shouldn’t have to be told,” said Don Hudson.
“It’s another story under our belt,” added daughter Angel.
The Hudson family had just wrapped up a two week vacation when they boarded Aeromexico flight 2431. The weather turned nasty as the plane started to taxi for takeoff.
“The weather was too bad,” said Don. “It shouldn’t have moved down the runway at all.”
Seconds after takeoff there was trouble.
“It got one or five feet off the ground and crashed, and the pilot tried to lift it off again and it crashed, and he tried to again and it blew up,” said 7-year-old Declan Hudson.
The family says flames engulfed the plane. The 99 passengers and four crew members on board raced to safety through the smoke-filled cabin. Declan was one of the first down the emergency slide.
“He kept running and if you think about it he led all of us,” said Angel Hudson. “Anyone who ran away from that plane followed that kid.”
“He helped out a lot,” said Don. “That little boy is my hero.”
Most of the family made it out of the crash uninjured, but mom Colleen suffered a broken nose and broken elbow as she tried shielding the littlest child from any serious blows.
“I wake up every day and realize my arm is hurt and then my second though is at least my kids are okay,” said Colleen McCormick.
They are physically okay, but mentally is another story.
“Now I’m a little scared to go in a plane,” said 5-year-old Camden.
The family plans to celebrate their survival every year on the anniversary of the crash.