The Boeing 757-200 took off from Juan Santamaria International Airport in the capital, San Jose, for a flight to Guatemala at around 10 a.m. Thursday when pilots declared a state of emergency due to hydraulic failure. The crew requested to return to the airport and were released to land on a runway there. The air traffic controller informed the pilots that the emergency vehicles were on standby. The DHL cargo plane broke in two after landing. EPA / Jeffrey Arguedas The pilots on the plane declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to a hydraulic failure. But after landing, the yellow aircraft was videotaped turning right, spinning and losing landing gear as smoke billowed from the fuselage, which broke in two. “We are pleased to report that the crew was not physically injured in the incident. “A crew member underwent preventive medical examinations,” DHL told aviationsourcenews.com. Aeris Airport Airlines said regular operations resumed at 3:30 p.m. local time, several hours earlier than expected, Reuters reported. About 8,500 passengers and 57 commercial and cargo flights were affected by the closure, according to Aeris. Some 8,500 passengers and 57 commercial and cargo flights were affected by the closure. DHL and airport authorities said they were working together to transport the wreckage, which did not affect operations. “DHL’s case management team has been activated and an investigation will be conducted with the competent authorities to determine what happened,” DHL said.
