DHL Aero Expreso Flight 7216
DHL Aero Expresso Flight 7216 (D57216/DAE7216) was an international cargo flight between Costa Rica 's Juan Santamaría International Airport and Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport. On April 7, 2022, a Boeing 757-27A aircraft, registration HP-2010DAE, while performing service D57216, crashed at the Costa Rican airport with two crew members on board.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a 22-year-old Boeing 757-200 (registered HP-2010DAE), delivered to DHL Aero Expreso in November 2010. The aircraft was first delivered to Far Eastern Air Transport in December 1999 as a passenger aircraft. The aircraft was leased to EVA Air from May 2002 to January 2004 before returning back to Far Eastern Air Transport. The aircraft was withdrawn from service and later converted into a freighter aircraft in 2010.
Flight
The flight took off at 9:34 am local time (UTC-6:00) from Juan Santamaría Airport to La Aurora International Airport to deliver cargo. However, while flying over the Costa Rican town of San Carlos, the aircraft declared an emergency due to hydraulic problems, for which it made the decision to return to the air terminal, after holding a pattern to burn fuel, and touched down at 10:25 am (local time).
According to the videos recorded from the airport, the aircraft skidded on its collapsed left landing gear on runway 07, veered to the right on the Kilo taxiway and spinned more than 90 degrees, crashing into a ditch in front of the Costa Rica Fire Station and breaking apart. Sparks and dust was seen during the spin. Neither pilot was physically injured however one pilot underwent medical checks as a precaution. The aircraft was written off as a result.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a 22-year-old Boeing 757-200 (registered HP-2010DAE), delivered to DHL Aero Expreso in November 2010. The aircraft was first delivered to Far Eastern Air Transport in December 1999 as a passenger aircraft. The aircraft was leased to EVA Air from May 2002 to January 2004 before returning back to Far Eastern Air Transport. The aircraft was withdrawn from service and later converted into a freighter aircraft in 2010.
Flight
The flight took off at 9:34 am local time (UTC-6:00) from Juan Santamaría Airport to La Aurora International Airport to deliver cargo. However, while flying over the Costa Rican town of San Carlos, the aircraft declared an emergency due to hydraulic problems, for which it made the decision to return to the air terminal, after holding a pattern to burn fuel, and touched down at 10:25 am (local time).
According to the videos recorded from the airport, the aircraft skidded on its collapsed left landing gear on runway 07, veered to the right on the Kilo taxiway and spinned more than 90 degrees, crashing into a ditch in front of the Costa Rica Fire Station and breaking apart. Sparks and dust was seen during the spin. Neither pilot was physically injured however one pilot underwent medical checks as a precaution. The aircraft was written off as a result.
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