Two Killed in Dominican Republic Plane Crash

Two people died on Sunday when a private aircraft crashed on the runway of La Romana International Airport in eastern Dominican Republic, according to the national aviation authority.

A video shared on social media showed a large plume of smoke rising from the airport, while fire trucks sprayed water in an attempt to extinguish the blaze.

The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute said the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash. It added that no passengers were on board the aircraft.

The authority said the aircraft declared an emergency while approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of La Romana and crashed while attempting to return to the airport. It confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident involving the Gulfstream G200 jet.

Two Killed in Dominican Republic Plane Crash Credit: NZ Herald

La Romana International Airport serves the tourist city of La Romana, a key destination in the Dominican Republic’s tourism sector. Tourism remains a major pillar of the country’s economy, which has a population of about 11.6 million people.

The crash adds to a history of aviation accidents in the country, including a 2021 incident in which nine people died after a private plane departed from Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo.

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