A private jet bound for Texas to pick up former MLB All-Star catcher Yadier Molina, his family and friends crashed during an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic, killing both American pilots on board.
The deadly crash happened Sunday after the U.S.-registered Gulfstream G200 jet took off from La Romana International Airport.
Molina later revealed on social media that the plane had been heading to Texas to pick up his group before they traveled to Puerto Rico.
“My condolences to the pilots and their family!” Molina wrote.
According to the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation, the jet had originally departed from Puerto Rico and stopped at La Romana International Airport to refuel before continuing on to Austin, Texas.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilots declared an emergency because of serious mechanical problems.
Local reports said the aircraft was about 16 nautical miles southwest of the airport when the crew turned back and attempted an emergency landing.
Dramatic footage from the scene showed the jet scraping along the runway on its rear wheels before bouncing and erupting into a massive fireball.
The aircraft was completely destroyed.
Emergency crews rushed to the airfield as firefighters battled the flames. Airport operations were temporarily halted while crews responded to the deadly crash.
Authorities confirmed that no passengers were on board at the time.
The Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation said the plane had two crew members aboard, the pilot and co-pilot.
“The U.S.-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 agency said.
“The aeronautical authorities activated the corresponding protocols and are conducting onsite investigations to determine the causes of the incident.”
According to the Aviation Safety Network, the plane was a Gulfstream G200 with the registration N318JF. The aircraft can carry up to 18 passengers.
Officials have not yet publicly released the names of the two American pilots as the investigation continues.
The Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation and the Commission for Aviation Accident Investigation are working together to determine exactly what caused the crash.
The deadly incident comes after another major aviation tragedy in South America, where at least 66 people were killed and dozens more injured when a Colombian military plane crashed into the Amazon rainforest shortly after takeoff.
That March crash involved a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 carrying 128 people, most of them soldiers, from Puerto Leguizamo in southern Colombia.
Footage from that disaster showed the plane descending into dense jungle near the border with Peru before exploding in flames.