La Romana Airport crash: Plane erupts into huge fireball after landing in Dominican Republic
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/la-romana-airport-crash-plane-37261770
A plane crash has been caught on camera, with footage capturing the plane hitting the ground and sliding along for several metres, before bursting into flames.
The crash and subsequent explosion killed the two crew members on board, according to aviation officials and local media in the Dominican Republic. Names of the pilot and copilot who were killed have not been released. No passengers were reported to be on board.
The aircraft has been identified by Dominican aviation officials as a GALX with US. registration number N318JF, which was returning to La Romana International Airport in southeastern Dominican Republic.
Local media has reported that the plane was bound for Austin, Texas, in the United States before it declared an emergency about 16 nautical miles southwest of La Romana and turned back toward the airport.
In the clip, a white business jet is seen moving at high speed along the ground near the runway, kicking up massive clouds of dirt and dust as it veers off its path. Parts of the fuselage can be seen beginning to break away under the immense force.
Moments later, a fire suddenly erupts from the rear section of the jet. As the plane continued to slide and disintegrate, the fire triggered a larger explosion.
The video ends on the wreckage engulfed in flames with a massive plume of thick, black smoke billowing into the air over the airport grounds, with emergency vehicles racing toward the fiery remnants of the plane to control the blaze.
The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute and the country’s Aviation Accident Investigation Commission said emergency protocols were activated and investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.
Looks like gear collapsed on landing (hydraulic failure?), loss of directional control, and hits something in the grass, bounces and fire ensues…