By Judith Gicobi
The Juan Santamaria International Airport in Costa Rica resumed on Thursday after a DHL Boeing 757-200 cargo plane crash landed and went off the runway, detaching its tail, according to aviation authorities.
Following the 10 a.m. mishap, airport operator Aeris stated the airport on the outskirts of San Jose reopened around 3:30 p.m. local time, many hours sooner than scheduled.
According to Aeris, the closure impacted 8,500 passengers and 57 commercial and cargo planes.
The crew was unharmed, according to DHL, which is owned by Deutsche Post AG. One member was subjected to a medical examination as a precaution.
A yellow jet adorned with the DHL emblem was showered with firefighting foam after landing on a grassy area near to a runway. According to images from Costa Rican newspaper La Nacion, the tail had separated and a wing had shattered.
According to Luis Miranda Munoz, deputy head of Costa Rica’s civil aviation authority, the aircraft was on its way to Guatemala when it suffered a hydraulic system malfunction.
The pilot requested an emergency landing shortly after takeoff because of the problem, he added.
A Boeing spokesman said the company will defer inquiries to the authorities in charge of the investigation.
DHL and airport officials stated they were working jointly to transfer the plane, but that it was having no effect on operations.
“DHL’s incident response team has been activated and an investigation will be conducted with the relevant authorities to determine what happened,” DHL said.
The airport was expected to be closed until 6 p.m. local time, affecting three cargo aircraft and 32 commercial flights to and from the United States, Central America, Mexico, Canada, and Europe, according to Aeris.
