A harmless photo outing turned tragic for two young women in Chihuahua, Mexico. On March 25, 2017, Clarissa Morquecho, 17, and her friend Nitzia Mendoza, 18, climbed into a pickup truck bed for a better angle of the airstrip in Chinipas. Bystanders reportedly warned them to step back, but they stayed. As a light airplane approached to land, they lifted their phones for an exciting selfie video—unaware of how close danger was. The accident that followed left their community reeling.

Witnesses at the airstrip began shouting for the teens to get down as the plane descended, according to The Mirror. The nearby racetrack’s roar of horses reportedly drowned out the sound of the approaching airplane during their selfie attempt. The airplane’s wing struck both women in the head, killing them instantly. Officials summarized the accident: “Both young women were standing in a pickup truck and were taking pictures but they did not notice that a plane was descending, and the aircraft wing hit them in the head, which led to their deaths.”

Clarissa was attending high school. Her cousin, Elena Morquecho Miranda, took to social media to mourn. Miranda wrote, “You are now a beautiful angel. Barely 17 years old and you are with God, watch over us and protect us from all evil, my girl. I’ll miss you forever.” Nitzia, a law student in Navojoa, was also remembered by friends and family who were devastated by the news.

#Selfiedeaths are trending

This incident joins a growing list of “selfie deaths,” which experts say are rising. Many victims lose their lives attempting extreme selfies at cliffs, waterfalls, and railways. While airplane selfie deaths are unheard of–until now–selfie-related incidents claimed at least 127 lives worldwide in just two years, with India leading in fatal accidents. Mexico’s recent tragedy, however, raises different questions as witnesses and online forum users speculate on the pilot’s role.

In forums like FlightAware, users discussed the accident in detail, questioning the pilot’s proximity to the truck. One forum member asked, “Why would a landing aircraft get that close to the truck? Even if they were standing in the bed, that would put them only about one meter from the top of the cab. Too close for my comfort.”

Another user echoed this view, suggesting the pilot either misjudged the clearance or acted carelessly. One commenter speculated that it might have been a “cowboy” maneuver to impress the girls during their airplane selfie, but it went terribly wrong. Others noted that if the airplane was low-winged, the pilot might not have seen the truck so close to the runway. Authorities have not commented or released the pilot’s name.

Though the teens may have pushed boundaries for a better shot, this tragedy is a reminder of how quickly routine moments can turn deadly. The heartbreak underscores why we should enjoy moments safely and avoid risks that can turn fatal in seconds.