DHL Plane's Tail Detaches Amid Emergency Landing: See the Photos
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DHL is launching an investigation after one of its cargo planes bound for Guatemala split into two pieces following an emergency landing in Costa Rica on Thursday, the logistics company confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE.
In the statement, DHL also stated no crew members were harmed and only one was evaluated as a precautionary measure.
"We can confirm that a DHL de Guatemala SA B757-200F flight JOS2716 sustained damage upon landing at Juan Santamaria airport in Costa Rica. We are pleased to report that the crew were physically unharmed in the incident. One crew member underwent medical checks as a precaution," DHL told PEOPLE.
"We are coordinating with the airport authorities on moving the aircraft from the area near the runway. However, the runway has reopened and operations have now resumed at the airport."
The statement continued, "DHL's incident response team has been activated and an investigation will be conducted with the relevant authorities to determine what happened. Until then, we are unable to share any further information."
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EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty
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According to Reuters, authorities stated Costa Rica's Juan Santamaria International Airport closed for hours after the aircraft "skidded off the runway" and its tail detached.
Reuters added that airport operator Aeris stated the incident took place at 10 a.m. and the airport opened up again at 3:30 p.m. local time. Aeris stated per Reuters that the closure impacted around 8,500 travelers and 57 flights. Aeris didn't immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.
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Luis Miranda Munoz, deputy director of Costa Rica's civil aviation authority told Reuters the plane is suspected of having a failure in its hydraulic system.
Munoz told the news outlet an issue with the hydraulic system pushed the pilot to request the emergency landing.
Photos from the scene of the incident show the yellow plane with the DHL logo. Its tail can be seen detached along with a broken wing on a grassy field close to the runway.
