An international airport in Costa Rica shut down Thursday after a DHL cargo jet snapped in half during an emergency landing.
The Boeing 757 left from Juan Santamaría Airport, but had to return after a malfunction in the hydraulic system, CBS reported. The plane was captured on video sliding off the runway and then splitting in half.
WATCH:
A DHL plane slid out of control and crashed on the runway of Juan Santa Maria Airport in Costa Rica on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/2DTl8pUaST
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 8, 2022
Red Cross worker Guido Vasquez told AFP that the pilots were sent to the hospital “for a medical checkup,” and both reportedly did not sustain injuries. (RELATED: 2 Injured, 1 Dead After Military Plane Crashes Near Virginia Marsh)
Director of the Costa Rica Fire Department, Héctor Chaves, said that when the aircraft skidded and split into two, the cargo was exposed, CBS News reported.
“Units mobilized to remove the pilot and co-pilot,” Chaves said, according to CBS News. “Then they applied foam to prevent a spill and now they are working on an earthen dike to avoid any fuel from reaching the drainage system.”
DHL spokesman Daniel McGrath said an investigation will take place to see how this accident occurred, Euronews reported.
The airport is reportedly open and activities have gone on as normal.
In March, a Boeing 737 with 132 passengers crashed over southern China. The Chinese flight, MU5735, was carrying 132 people, including 123 passengers and nine staff, when contact was lost over the city of Wuzhou in southern China.