Nine dead, including six Americans, in plane crash in Dominican Republic

 
INA-follow-up
 
 
Nine people, including six Americans, were killed Wednesday when a passenger plane crashed shortly after take-off from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, bound for Florida, according to the authorities and the Heldusa Company that owns the plane.
 
“With great regret, Helidosa announces that one of its planes was involved in a tragic accident at Las Americas Airport (Santo Domingo Airport), killing all passengers and crew members,” the company said in a statement.
 
In turn, General Emmanuel Sofron Tamayo, director of the Air Accidents Investigation Committee, told AFP that the Gulfstream IV plane was carrying three crew members, two pilots, a flight attendant, and six passengers.
 
“All six passengers are from North America,” he added.
 
Journalists published the flight list, and this document showed that among the victims were two children, aged four and 13.
 
According to this document, the plane took off for Orlando, while the company said in its statement that its plane was heading to Miami.
 
For its part, the airport said in a statement that the plane “taken off at 17:09 (21:09 GMT) from La Isabela International Airport (northwest of Santo Domingo) and was in an accident at about 17:25 after it had reported an emergency and tried to land in La Americas Airport (southeast of the capital).
The plane crashed before reaching the tarmac, but nevertheless the accident required the airport to be closed for nearly two hours, according to the statement.
 
The media reported that Puerto Rican music producer Jose Angel Hernandez, 38, nicknamed “Flo La Moi”, and his wife were among the victims.