The two pilots who died when a private jet crashed in the Dominican Republic on the way to pick up St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina have been identified as two American aviators.
Pilot Erik Javier Diago and co-pilot Ruddy Ghazal were taking off from La Romana International Airport on Sunday when their US-registered Gulfstream G200 Galaxy executive jet ran into problems, airport officials said.
Jatinho Gulfstream G200 faz pouso de emergência na República Dominicana, sai da pista e pega fogo
Imagens impressionantes gravadas no Aeroporto Internacional La Romana
De matrícula N318JF, o jatinho decolou e precisou voltar pro problemas@OnDisasters pic.twitter.com/YhXrOvBfaI
— AEROIN (@aero_in) June 7, 2026
The pilots attempted an emergency landing shortly after take off, with the plane erupting into a massive fireball as it crashed in an open field.
Harrowing footage of the scene showed how the plane began skipping on the field while attempting to land, with the aircraft breaking apart and exploding as people nearby looked on in horror.
Diago and Ghazal were the sole occupants inside the plane, which was headed to Austin to pick up Molina and his family.
“My condolences to the pilots and their families,” the Cardinals legend wrote on Instagram. “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.”
