A US-registered private jet crashed and erupted into a massive fireball during an emergency landing attempt at La Romana International Airport in the Dominican Republic on June 7, 2026.
Both crew members on board were killed. Dominican aviation authorities confirmed the deaths of pilot Erick Javier Diago and co-pilot Rudy Ghazal.
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No passengers were reported to be inside the aircraft.
The 2004 Gulfstream 200 business jet, with US registration number N318JF, is listed by the FAA as owned by Aibonito Aviation LLC of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The aircraft had originally departed La Romana International Airport for Austin, Texas. It declared an emergency approximately 16 nautical miles southwest of the airport.
Public flight-tracking data showed the crew turned back toward the airport.
They performed two 360-degree turns over water and made one aborted landing attempt into the wind before circling inland multiple times.
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Video footage captured the final seconds of the flight.
The jet veered off the paved runway surface, kicking up a trail of dirt and debris due to apparent damage to the main landing gear.
The aircraft then bounced into a steep nose-high attitude before the nose dropped sharply.
The fuselage broke apart, the wing failed, and the wreckage exploded into flames under a tailwind.
The Dominican Civil Aviation Institute and the Aviation Accident Investigation Commission announced that emergency protocols were immediately activated.
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Investigators are currently working to determine the exact cause of the crash.
