A cargo aircraft carrying mail and parcels experienced a bizarre incident when it split in two during an emergency landing at Juan Santamaria Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Thursday. The incident did not result in any casualties, as reported by the authorities, who noted that it led to a temporary closure of the airport. The head of the fire department in Costa Rica, Hector Chavez, stated in press remarks that "the two individuals on board the plane are in good health," according to Agence France-Presse. A Red Cross rescue worker, Guido Vasquez, mentioned that the two crew members are Guatemalan nationals and confirmed they were taken to the hospital for precautionary checks.
Julian Billiard, director of operations and security at the public company "Aeris," which manages San Jose Airport, stated that the captain of a Boeing 757 aircraft from the German group "DHL" reported a hydraulic system problem and requested to return 25 minutes after taking off from the airport en route to Guatemala, as per Agence France-Presse.
During the emergency landing shortly before 4:30 PM GMT, the plane skid off the runway and split into two sections. The incident halted all operations at Juan Santamaria Airport, the largest in the country, for approximately 5.5 hours, affecting around 100 flights and 8,500 passengers. Airport operations returned to normal for "arrivals and departures," according to Riccardo Hernandez, the general director of "Aeris."
