Costa Rica: DHL cargo plane crashes and breaks in half

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A dramatic plane crash yesterday in Costa Rica. A Boeing 757 belonging to the German company DHL was forced to make an emergency landing after hydraulic problems but broke in two.

The two pilots on board were uninjured, according to reports.

The cargo plane had taken off yesterday morning from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in the Costa Rican capital bound for Guatemala but had to return to its place of origin.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday, we have problems with the left hydraulic system. We have two souls on board. We have two hours and thirty minutes of fuel left. According to local press El Tiempo, we will prepare our plane for an emergency landing,” the pilot warned.

However, after another emergency landing at the Costa Rican airport, the German company’s plane derailed from the runway and broke in two.

The impressive accident was caught on camera, and images of the incident quickly spread on social media. In the videos, the cargo plane moves forward on the runway, making a 180° turn during braking maneuvers and derailing.

According to the local newspaper El Tiempo, the Boeing 757-200 reported mechanical problems on the flight to Guatemala, forcing it to land on the runway at 10:25 a.m., according to a fire department report.

Firefighters who arrived on the scene and activated the emergency code could bring the situation under control around 11 a.m., and rescue teams checked the cargo inside the plane.

Héctor Chaves, head of the Costa Rican Fire Department, said that after landing in the southern sector of the airport nearly 30 minutes later, the plane skidded and spun. Eventually, the fuselage broke in two, exposing the cargo.

“Units were mobilized to remove the pilot and co-pilot. We then applied foam to prevent a spill and are now working on an earthen wall to prevent the spilled fuel from entering the sewer system,” Chaves said.

According to the deputy director of civil aviation, Luis Miranda, the cargo plane was going to La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City. The crew consisted of only two people, cargo, and two and a half hours of fuel onboard.