The plane, operated by Deutsche Post AG, requested an emergency landing at Juan Santamaria International Airport shortly after takeoff. After a difficult landing, the DHL plane skidded off the runway and split in two. In the incident, which occurred at 10:00 am, one wing of the plane was broken during landing and its tail spread over a grassy area next to the runway. Firefighters extinguished the debris with foam.
NOT DAMAGED
DHL said the crew was unharmed, but one staff member had undergone a medical evaluation as a precaution. The incident caused chaos at the busy airport. About 8,500 passengers and 57 commercial and cargo flights were affected. The airport was closed for hours due to debris on the runway before reopening at 3:30 PM local time.
TEAMS INTERVENED
Héctor Chaves, director of the Costa Rica Fire Department, said units acted to remove the pilot and co-pilot and then put out the fire by applying foam. They now work on an earthen embankment to prevent any fuel from reaching the drainage system.
DHL and airport officials said they were working together to get the plane moving, although it did not affect operations. The shipping company said DHL has activated its incident response team and that an investigation will be conducted with the relevant authorities to determine what happened.