A pilot and co-pilot were killed when a privately-owned Gulfstream jet crashed in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, leaving massive plumes of black smoke wafting up into the air.
The jet crashed in the afternoon at the La Romana International Airport, where firefighters were seen trying to douse the flames emanating from the wreckage as smoke billowed into the air.
The US-registered aircraft had arrived in the Dominican Republic from Puerto Rico and, after refueling at La Romana, was headed to the city of Austin, Texas on a charter flight, according to Listin Diario.
It was scheduled to collect former Major League Baseball player Yadier Molina, a two-time World Series winner with the St. Louis Cardinals and a 10-time All-Star, and his family.
‘My condolences to the pilots and their families!’ Molina wrote on Instagram. ‘This plane was on its way to pick up me, my family, and my friends in Texas to bring us back to Puerto Rico!
‘It’s all just devastating! Thank you, God, for everything, and I am so saddened by it all!’
Just minutes after takeoff, the crew reported problems that forced the pilot to attempt an emergency return to the airport.
Preliminary flight tracking data then showed the aircraft circling the airport before it attempted to land on the runway, according to Dominican Today.
It then lost stability and crashed within the airport terminal perimeter.
The Gulfstream, belonging to an executive aviation company, had two crew members on board at the time who were pronounced dead at the scene.
Their identities have not yet been released.
Following the crash, members of the fire department, personnel from the airport’s Fire and Rescue Service as well as members of the Specialized Airport and Civil Aviation Security Corps rushed to the scene to secure the area.
At the same time, first responders and specialized technicians began gathering evidence to determine what exactly caused the crash.
Dominican aeronautical authorities will now open an investigation into the crash, which will include a probe into the nature of the failure the crew reported before attempting to return to the airport.
The 43-year-old Molina, meanwhile, is widely considered one of the best catchers and defensive players in baseball history.
He spent his entire career with the Cardinals and featured in four World Series with them, winning two.
He was seen in Texas on Saturday watching his son play for Lake Travis High School.
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