Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - A private plane heading to pick up St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina in Texas crashed just minutes after taking off in the Dominican Republic.
The crash k!lled the pilot and co-pilot.
The US-registered Gulfstream G200 Galaxy executive jet had
taken off for Austin when the crew reported problems on board, forcing the
pilot to attempt an emergency return to the airport Sunday, June 7.
It crashed in a massive fireball, k!lling the pilot and
co-pilot, the only people onboard, officials said.
Molina, who would have been on the plane with his family if
it had reached him, addressed the crash in an Instagram post.
“My condolences to the pilots and their families,” he wrote.
“This plane was on its way to pick up me, my family, and friends in Texas to
return to Puerto Rico. This is all so heartbreaking.”
The aircraft declared an emergency as it was 16 nautical
miles southwest of La Romana International Airport, and lost stability when it
tried to return safely to its point of origin, according to Listin
Diario.
“The US-registered aircraft, registered to an executive
aviation company, had its two crew members on board: the pilot and co-pilot. No
passengers were reported,” the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation (IDAC)
stated in a press release.
Video of the wreckage shows the jet completely engulfed in
flames on the runway, an enormous pillar of black smoke rising into the air as
it burned.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, including fire and
rescue services teams who attempted to douse the flames and secure the
area.
Dominican authorities said they were launching an
investigation into the cause of the crash with help from specialized agencies,
including what exactly caused the failure that resulted in the emergency
landing.
Molina spent his entire playing career with the Cardinals
from 2004 to 2022. The 10-time MLB All-Star catcher won two World Series with
the team in 2006 and 2011 and is a nine-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner.
See video from the scene below.
WATCH: Another angle shows the private jet crash during an attempted emergency landing at La Romana International Airport in the Dominican Republic. Two crew members were killed. pic.twitter.com/9lWZms7ynF
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 8, 2026
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