On the same day an American Airlines A321 clipped a runway distance marker with a wingtip, an AeroMexico E170 dragged its left wing for about 500 yards down a runway in Mexico. The regional jet was taking off April 10 from Chihuahua bound for Monterrey in a howling crosswind that gusted to 38 knots. On rotation, the aircraft banked 45 degrees and started grinding paint and metal from the wingtip and aileron. The crew got it airborne and immediately returned for a safe landing in that same wind.
In addition to the abrasion damage on the wing, tip strobes and markers were smashed. Authorities are investigating. The passengers got to Monterrey four hours later on another E170. Surveillance video caught the incident. Note the windsock early in the clip.
