Updated

Updated · KEYE TV CBS Austin · Jun 8

Gulfstream 200 Crashes Returning to La Romana, Killing 2 Crew on Austin-Bound Flight

Updated

Updated · KEYE TV CBS Austin · Jun 8

Gulfstream 200 Crashes Returning to La Romana, Killing 2 Crew on Austin-Bound Flight

Q: What crucial factor turned an engine failure into a fatal inferno for Yadier Molina's intended private jet?

The engine problem became fatal when the jet’s emergency landing unraveled into a runway excursion and structural breakup that ignited fuel. According to the reported details, the Gulfstream G200 suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff and tried to return to La Romana. But during the rushed approach, the aircraft reportedly became unstable, with tracking data indicating a strong tailwind on final. Video and witness evidence suggest the jet touched down hard, bounced, and then left the paved surface into the grass. That loss of control appears to have triggered the deadly chain: landing gear damage, separation of debris including part of an engine, and then a fuel vapor cloud igniting under the aircraft. Reports say the jet then struck uneven ground or an obstacle, the wing failed, and the aircraft broke apart in a fireball. So the crucial factor was not just the initial engine failure. It was the catastrophic structural failure during the attempted emergency landing — after the jet skidded off the runway and fuel ignited — that turned the incident into a fatal inferno. Investigators have not yet issued a final cause, so these details remain preliminary.

3 articles · Updated · KEYE TV CBS Austin · Jun 8

La Romana airport officials said a privately operated Gulfstream 200 crashed Sunday after takeoff while trying to return to the Dominican airport, killing the only two people aboard.
Shortly after departure, the crew declared an emergency; the jet then ran off the runway during the attempted return, triggering the airport's emergency response.
Pilot Erick Javier Diago and copilot Ruddy Ghazal, both identified by officials as U.S. nationals, were the sole occupants of aircraft N318JF on the flight to Austin, Texas.
The crash is under investigation, while a separate social media post from Yadier Molina said the plane had been headed to Austin to pick him up.