La Romana crash as US jet erupts into fireball killing two crew members
A horrifying plane crash at La Romana Airport in the Dominican Republic was caught on camera, showing the moment a US-registered Gulfstream jet skidded off the runway and burst into a huge fireball
A shocking plane crash has been captured on film, with footage showing the aircraft slamming into the ground, sliding for several metres, and then erupting into a fireball.
According to local media, the US-registered Gulfstream jet was headed for Austin, Texas, in the United States before declaring an emergency approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of La Romana and turning back towards the airport.
The crew reported mechanical issues during take-off, prompting them to turn around and attempt an emergency landing. The plane was completely destroyed in the crash and subsequent explosion.
Tragically, both crew members on board lost their lives, as reported by Dominican newspaper El Día. The victims have been identified as American nationals Erick Javier Diago and Rudy Ghazal.
No passengers were reportedly on board, reports the Mirror.
The disturbing footage, shared on social media, shows the grey business jet moving at high speed along the ground near the runway during the emergency landing attempt.
It can be seen generating massive clouds of dirt and dust as it veers off course, with parts of the fuselage beginning to break away under the intense force.
Moments later, a fire suddenly erupts from the rear section of the jet. As the plane continues to slide and disintegrate, the fire triggers a larger explosion.
The footage concludes with the wreckage consumed by flames, emitting a large column of dense, black smoke into the air above the airport grounds, as emergency vehicles rush towards the burning remains of the aircraft to contain the fire.
The US-registered private jet was a Gulfstream G200, a medium- to long-range executive aircraft built in 2004 by Israel Aircraft Industries.
According to aviation records viewed by the Mirror, the aircraft was owned by Aibonito Aviation LLC, a private aviation firm based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The plane was completely destroyed in the crash and subsequent explosion.
Dominican aviation officials have identified the aircraft as a GALX with US registration number N318JF, which was returning to La Romana International Airport in the southeastern Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute and the country’s Aviation Accident Investigation Commission stated that emergency protocols were activated, and investigators are working to establish the cause of the crash.
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