LA ROMANA, Dominican Republic — A private executive jet crashed during an attempted emergency landing at La Romana International Airport on Sunday, killing both crew members on board.
The aircraft, a Gulfstream G200 with U.S. registration N318JF, had recently arrived from Puerto Rico and refueled before taking off for Austin, Texas. According to the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) and the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the crew declared an emergency roughly 16 nautical miles southwest of the airport after experiencing a severe mechanical issue, reportedly involving an engine failure.
The Attempted Return
In a bid to save the aircraft, the flight crew routed back toward La Romana. Preliminary reports indicate that during the high-stress return maneuver, the aircraft attempted to approach the runway from an unconventional direction against the prevailing traffic pattern.
The jet lost stability during its final approach and came down in a grassy area within the airport perimeter, bursting into flames upon impact.
“The U.S.-registered aircraft, listed under an executive aviation company, had only its two crew members on board—the pilot and co-pilot. No passengers were registered for the flight.” — Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) Statement
Emergency Response and Investigation
Airport emergency protocols were activated immediately. Airport firefighters, rescue teams, and the Specialized Corps in Airport Security and Civil Aviation (CESAC) rushed to the scene to extinguish the intense blaze and secure the crash site.
Investigators from the country’s aviation accident commission have already begun recovering flight data and evidence from the wreckage. The identities of the two deceased pilots have not yet been formally released by authorities pending family notification.
