A private jet bound for Austin crashed shortly after takeoff in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, killing the two American pilots aboard the plane.
La Romana International Airport shared a statement on Facebook late Sunday night confirming the news.
“An accident occurred on Sunday afternoon at La Romana International Airport involving the crash of a private aircraft, a Gulfstream 200, registration N318JF,” the statement (posted in Spanish) said. “The plane was crewed by pilot Erick Javier Diago and co-pilot Ruddy Ghazal, both of American nationality and the only occupants of the flight, which was headed to the city of Austin, Texas, in the United States.
“The flight declared an emergency shortly after takeoff and crashed during an attempted return landing at La Romana airport, running off the runway. Sadly, both occupants perished.”
Airport fire and ambulance units, as well as the Dominican Red Cross, arrived on scene shortly after the accident, but were unable to save the pilots as the plane in question quickly caught fire after the crash. An on-site investigation has begun to determine the cause of the accident, per the airport’s statement.
Warning: the following video is graphic and features footage of the plane’s crash and subsequent fire.
The plane in question was reportedly headed to Texas to pick up former Major League Baseball catcher Yadier Molina. The 10-time All-Star was in Austin to watch his son play for Lake Travis High School in the UIL Texas 6A D1 state championship, which was held at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Molina shared news of the plane’s crash late Sunday.
“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 friends in Texas to return to Puerto Rico. This is all so heartbreaking.”
No other passengers were aboard the plane other than the two pilots. It’s unclear whether Molina will fly to the Dominican Republic or remain in Austin following Sunday’s crash.