The plane, flown by American pilots Erick Javier Diago and Rudy Ghazal, began flying northwest from La Romana International Airport, reaching a peak altitude of 8,400 feet, according to the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A). The flight was then derailed shortly thereafter. The Gulfstream G200 jet declared an emergency due to a technical problem before it reached 9,000 feet, potentially due to engine faliure, per B3A. The emergency then prompted an attempt to return to the La Romana airport.
Flight tracking data obtained by aviation news outlet AeroTime revealed the plane made two full circle turns over water near the lone runway at La Romana International Airport, and made one aborted landing attempt into the wind before pulling up back into the sky. The plane then made a second and final landing attempt, which was unsuccessful, and ultimately fatal.
The plane quickly veered off the runway and into a grassy area parallel to the runway, and both landing gears—designed to support the aircraft’s weight and absorb shock—were torn off upon touching the ground, per BA3. The front wheel of the plane and the engine were torn off the plane as it bumped and skidded down the runway, and a fireball then erupted before the plane came to rest in a fiery cloud of smoke.
The aircraft was completely destroyed in the fire, according to B3A. Diago and Ghazal died at the scene.
Warning: the following video is graphic and features footage of the plane’s crash and subsequent fire.
La Romana International Airport issued a statement shortly after Sunday’s crash, confirming the identities of the two pilots. An on-site investigation was launched shortly after to determine the cause of the accident, per the airport’s statement.
The aircraft was set to land in Austin to pick up Yadier Molina, a former All-Star catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Molina, who was in Austin to watch his son play for Lake Travis High School in the UIL Texas 6A D1 State Championship, shared his condolences in a statement on Instagram.
“My condolences to the pilots and their families,” Molina wrote. “This plane was on its way to pick up me, my family, and friends in Texas to return to Puerto Rico. This is all so heartbreaking.”