DHL Boeing 757 Crashes in San Jose, Costa Rica

On Thursday morning a DHL Boeing 757-200F freighter crashed in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Credit @adsbcr on Twitter

The aircraft, a 22-year-old Boeing 757-200F with registration HP-2010DAE departed San Jose, Costa Rica bound for Guatemala City, Guatemala. 

Immediately after takeoff the crew reported hydraulic issues with the left landing gear and decided to enter a holding pattern for approximately 50 minutes possibly to burn fuel and free up extra weight for landing.

The aircraft subsequently exited the runway and crashed into an embankment next to the runway splitting the fuselage in two and ripping off the right-hand (NO.2) engine, the aircraft was carrying 2 pilots onboard, reports from rescue services indicate there were no serious injuries. The aircraft was also reported to be carrying hazardous materials onboard.

Credit @adsbcr on Twitter

The flight was operated by DHL Aero Expreso S.A. a cargo airline based in Panama City, Panama. It is wholly owned by Deutsche Post World Net and operates its DHL-branded parcel and express services in Central and South America. The company operates seven aircraft (eight prior to the accident), its fleet consists of 2 Boeing 737-400Fs, 3 Boeing 757-200Fs and three 767-300fs.