A DHL cargo jet slid off the runway and broke in half while landing at San Jose’s international airport Thursday, shutting down the airport, but not injuring the crew.
The fire department said the Boeing 757 had taken off from Juan Santamaría Airport just west of the capital but decided to return after detecting a failure in the hydraulic system.
Héctor Chaves, director of the Costa Rica Fire Department, said that upon landing the aircraft skidded, turned, and broke in two, exposing its cargo.
“Units mobilized to remove the pilot and co-pilot,” Chaves said. “Then they applied foam to prevent a spill and now they are working on an earthen dike to avoid any fuel from reaching the drainage system.”
A spokesman for cargo carrier DHL said both pilots were unharmed but one was undergoing a medical check as a precaution.
DHL spokesman Daniel McGrath said the company was working with airport authorities to move the plane so flights could resume. He said an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the incident.
DHL is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group.
Luis Miranda, deputy director of civil aviation for Costa Rica, said the plane had gone only about 35 miles from the airport when it requested permission to turn back from its planned flight to Guatemala City. He said the pilot and co-pilot were the only crew members aboard the plane, which was carrying only about 2 1/2 hours' worth of fuel.
The airport administration said the crash would keep the airport closed to incoming and outgoing flights until at least 6 p.m. Some flights would be diverted to Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, about 125 miles northwest of San Jose.
The White House is lending its support to an auto industry effort to standardize Tesla’s electric vehicle charging plugs for all EVs in the United States.
Some of America’s biggest retailers are working to increase their shipping speeds to please shoppers expecting faster and faster deliveries.
A group representing several big tech companies is suing Utah over state laws about children's social media use.
Google has agreed to pay $700 million to settle an anti-trust settlement.
Stocks were up after the closing bell as Wall Street continued to pin their hopes on rate cuts after last week's comments from the Fed.
Cheddar News' Need2Know is brought to you by Securitize, which helps unlock broader access to alternative investments in private businesses, funds, and other alternative assets. The private credit boom is here and the Hamilton Lane Senior Credit Opportunities Fund has tripled in assets under management in just six months from November 2022 through April this year. Visit Securitize.io to learn more.
Google has agreed to pay $700 million and make several other concessions to settle allegations that it had been stifling competition against its Android app store — the same issue that went to trial in another case that could result in even bigger changes.
Nicki Minaj just reached a milestone that no other woman in rap has reached.
Apple announced that starting this week, it will stop selling some versions of the Apple watch in the U.S.
Southwest Airlines will pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into a debacle in December 2022 when the airline canceled thousands of flights and stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays.
