A private jet bound for Texas to pick up two-time World Series champion Yadier Molina crashed just minutes after taking off in the Dominican Republic.
The fiery crash killed the pilot and co-pilot.
“The US-registered Gulfstream G200 Galaxy executive jet had taken off for Austin when the crew reported problems on board, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency return to the airport Sunday,” the New York Post reports.
Watch below:
A private plane heading to pick up St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina, along with his friends and family in Texas crashed just minutes after taking off in the Dominican Republic, killing the pilot and co-pilot. pic.twitter.com/CRuGNI4Rv6
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 8, 2026
More from the New York Post:
The aircraft declared an emergency as it was 16 nautical miles southwest of La Romana International Airport, and lost stability when it tried to return safely to its point of origin, according to Listin Diario.
ADVERTISEMENT“The US-registered aircraft, registered to an executive aviation company, had its two crew members on board: the pilot and co-pilot. No passengers were reported,” the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC) stated in a press release.
Video of the wreckage shows the jet completely engulfed in flames on the runway, an enormous pillar of black smoke rising into the air as it burned.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, including fire and rescue services teams who attempted to douse the flames and secure the area.
Dominican authorities said they were launching an investigation into the cause of the crash with help from specialized agencies, including what exactly caused the failure that resulted in the emergency landing.
“My condolences to the pilots and their families,” Molina said, according to the outlet.
“This plane was on its way to pick up me, my family, and friends in Texas to return to Puerto Rico. This is all so heartbreaking,” he added.
The 10-time MLB All-Star catcher spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2004 to 2022, winning World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.
He is also a nine-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner.
Watch additional footage of the crash below:
Jatinho Gulfstream G200 faz pouso de emergência na República Dominicana, sai da pista e pega fogo
Imagens impressionantes gravadas no Aeroporto Internacional La Romana
De matrícula N318JF, o jatinho decolou e precisou voltar pro problemas@OnDisasters pic.twitter.com/YhXrOvBfaI
— AEROIN (@aero_in) June 7, 2026
Another visual of the Gulfstream G200 aircraft with registration N318JK, that had departed from La Romana bound for Austin Airport, Texas, United States.
Initial information indicates hydraulic problem due to which the emergency situation occurred that forced the crew to return… https://t.co/4ldQz9XUCr pic.twitter.com/HkFmG1RNol
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) June 7, 2026
The Independent shared further:
Officials have not yet publicly released the names of the two American pilots as the joint investigation by the IDAC and the Commission for Aviation Accident Investigation progresses.
The incident comes after at least 66 people were killed and dozens more injured when a Colombian military plane crashed into the Amazon rainforest moments after taking off.
There were 128 people, mostly soldiers, on board the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane when it took off from Puerto Leguizamo in southern Colombia in March.
Footage showed the plane descending to the ground shortly afterwards, in a section of dense jungle close to the border with Peru before exploding into flames in the jungle.
