Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaria International Airport was closed after the crash involving a Boeing 757-200 cargo aircraft, in which the pilot and co-pilot were evacuated unharmed. DHL, which is owned by Deutsche Post AG, said that “a crew member undergoes preventive medical examinations”. Aeris said the crash affected 57 commercial and cargo flights to and from the United States, Central America, Mexico, Canada and Europe, and 8,500 passengers. The plane, which was en route to Guatemala, had its hydraulic system damaged, prompting the pilot to request a forced landing at the airport on the outskirts of San Jose shortly after takeoff, according to Reuters. Hector Chavez, director of the Costa Rica Fire Department, said that after landing the plane slipped, turned 180 degrees and broke in two. “Units were mobilized to remove the pilot and co-pilot,” Mr Chaves said. “Then they applied foam to prevent a leak and now they are working on an earthen embankment to prevent any fuel from reaching the sewer system.” (REUTERS) DHL said it was working with airport officials to remove the affected plane from the runway to help resume normal operation. “DHL’s case management team has been activated and an investigation will be carried out with the competent authorities to determine what happened,” the company said. The plane was operated by the subsidiary of the company Aero Expreso. Aeris said the airport reopened at 15:30 local time, several hours earlier than expected.
