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 
