Boeing Crashes At Costa Rica SJO Airport

Photo by yousef alfuhigi on UnsplashYousef Alfuhigi

A DHL aircraft, flight 7216, crashed into the runway of Juan Santamaría (SJO) airport after a forced landing the morning of April 7, 2022. Fortunately, only minor injuries and no casualties are being reported.

La Teja reports that the incident occurred at 10:35 a.m. Pilots aboard the Boeing 757 200 freight plane reported a hydraulic issue and began to fly in circles.

They then decided to perform an emergency landing and landed hard. At the end of the landing, the aircraft turned and crashed into an embankment.

The aircraft ran off the runway during the landing and broke apart.

The aircraft had taken off from SJO and was headed to Guatemala. After ten minutes, the pilots returned to San José.

The plane landed with two passengers on board. Airport units, as well as units in Alajuela, Heredia, and San José were called to assist. Because the airplane was reportedly carrying hazardous materials, firefighters cooled the aircraft until the hazardous materials unit could arrive.

The tail of the aircraft broke completely.

Footage can be found on social media, where people are uploading videos of the scene.

DHL Aero Expreso S.A. is a cargo airline based out of Panama. Breaking Aviation News & Videos reports the aircraft was a 22-year-old plane that had been converted into a cargo plane in 2010.

The SJO airport is experiencing delays in flights leaving April 7th. The airport area is also experiencing heavy traffic. Please check the status of your flight and plan ahead if you are driving to the Alajuela or San José area.