A DHL truck slipped off the runway and broke in half while landing at San Jose International Airport on Thursday, closing the airport but not injuring the crew. The fire department said the Boeing 757 had taken off from Juan Santamaria airport just west of the capital, but decided to return after finding a faulty hydraulic system. Hector Chaves, director of the Costa Rica Fire Department, said that during the landing the plane slipped, turned and broke in two, exposing its cargo. “The units were mobilized to remove the pilot and co-pilot,” 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.” A spokesman for the cargo company DHL said both pilots were not injured, but one is undergoing a medical examination for precautionary reasons. DHL spokesman Daniel McGrath said the company was working with airport authorities to relocate the plane so that flights could resume. He said an investigation would be carried out to determine the causes of the incident. DHL is a subsidiary of the Deutsche Post DHL Group. Luis Miranda, deputy director of civil aviation for Costa Rica, said the plane was only about 35 miles from the airport when he asked for permission to return from his scheduled flight to Guatemala City. He said the pilot and co-pilot were the only crew on board the plane, which was carrying fuel for only about two and a half hours. Airport officials said the crash would keep the airport closed to incoming and outgoing flights until at least 6 p.m. The Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
