[HIGHTECHDUDE]

Two crew members died this Sunday, June 7, 2026 when a private executive aircraft crashed while attempting an emergency landing at La Romana International Airport.

The plane reported an engine failure shortly after takeoff. The crew notified the control tower of a loss of power in one engine and requested immediate return. The crash occurred during the emergency landing maneuver.

Emergency services, firefighters, and airport authorities responded quickly. An investigation is underway to determine the cause. The victims were identified as Erick Javier Diago and Rudy Ghazal, both U.S. citizens, who were the only people aboard the plane.

The Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) and the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Commission (CIAA) reported that the aircraft — a GALX model registered as N318JF — was carrying only the pilot and co-pilot when it crashed Sunday at La Romana International Airport.

Authorities said the plane declared an emergency while approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of the airport and went down as it attempted to return to La Romana International Airport.

FLIGHTRADAR

[kellyhound]

Was wondering about the ditch/depression the wing hit as the legally required width of a graded, hazard-free runway strip for a commercial-grade runway is 492 feet on each side of the runway centerline.

anyway rip.

[William May]

I notice the fire trucks rolled almost instantly. Good response from them. Wonder why the guys died? Looks like the fire was in the back part of the fuselage, and the nose section was intact even after the end of the accident. Unless they were overcome by smoke and flames in the cabin.

[kellyhound]

Originally Posted by William May ↗

Wonder why the guys died?

Plane loaded with fuel was about to liftoff at around 150 mph or so. The skidding caused deceleration but the impact of such a heavy plane at that speed must have been enough to knock both pilots out. At least i hope they did before getting burned.

[Mr.NoCredit]

That was a really nice aircraft. I wonder who it’s owned by and what the cause of the failure was.

[shellreilly]

It's been reported that plane was on it's way to Texas to pick up the former MLB player Yadier Molina and his family.

https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/06/...ican-republic/

[HIGHTECHDUDE]

Juan Browne summation...