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A private jet Gulfstream G200 with the U.S. registration N318JF crashed this Sunday at the La Romana International Airport, located in the east of the Dominican Republic, resulting in the deaths of two crew members.
According to Infobae, the victims were identified as Erick Javier Diago and Rudy Ghazal, the pilot and co-pilot respectively, both American nationals and the sole occupants of the aircraft.
The plane had taken off from La Romana headed to Austin, Texas, when the crew reported a loss of power in one of the engines and requested emergency authorization to return.
The statement from the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) and the Aviation Accident Investigation Commission (CIAA) indicated that “the aircraft declared an emergency when it was approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of La Romana” and went down during the emergency landing maneuver while attempting to return to the airport.
The accident gained international notoriety when it was revealed that the aircraft was intended to transport former Puerto Rican baseball player Yadier Molina, his family, and friends from La Romana to Puerto Rico.
Molina himself confirmed it hours after the incident through his Instagram account, where he explained that the plane had taken off to Texas to pick him and his group up.
"My condolences to the pilots and their families," wrote the former player of the St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he won two World Series during his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball.
The flight was a charter type and was not carrying passengers at the time of the accident. "No passengers were reported," specified the IDAC statement.
Aviation records indicate that the aircraft belongs to Aibonito Aviation, a company based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Gulfstream G200 is a medium to long-range executive jet manufactured in 2004 by Israel Aircraft Industries, with a capacity for between eight and 18 passengers.
The representative from La Romana, Eugenio Cedeño, reported on social media that several units of the fire department were working at the site, supported by personnel from Migration, Customs, and employees of the airport terminal.
The IDAC and the CIAA have launched an official investigation to determine the exact causes of the incident. According to Dominican media, "the specialists will analyze the remains of the aircraft, the crew's communications, maintenance records, and other evidence to establish the causes of the accident."
Molina, regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in Major League history, retired as a player in 2022 and returned to the St. Louis Cardinals organization in 2026 as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations.
The Dominican Republic has a history of serious air accidents: in December 2021, a private plane crashed at Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, resulting in nine fatalities, including the Puerto Rican music producer Flow La Movie (José Ángel Hernández).
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