Private Jet That Was Meant to Pick Up MLB Legend Yadier Molina Crashes in Dominica

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - A Gulfstream G200 Private Jet crashed in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, June 7, 2026, killing both pilots.

The plane was supposed to pick up Major League Baseball (MLB) legend Yadier Molina, along with his family and friends, from Texas.

Molina, a former catcher who played 19 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, confirmed the incident on social media.

He offered his deepest condolences to the families of the pilot and co-pilot.

“My condolences to the pilots and their families,” Molina wrote. “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.”

A private plane heading to pick up St. Louis Cardinals legend Yadier Molina, along with his friends and family in Texas crashed just minutes after taking off in the Dominican Republic, killing the pilot and co-pilot. pic.twitter.com/CRuGNI4Rv6

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 8, 2026

The crash occurred shortly after the jet took off from La Romana International Airport.

The two pilots who died were identified as Erick Javier Diago and Ruddy Ghazal.

There were no passengers on board at the time of the crash.

The Gulfstream G200 was registered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, under Aibonito Aviation LLC.

The flight originally departed Puerto Rico, landing in La Romana for refueling. The plane was then scheduled to fly to Texas to pick up Molina, before returning to Puerto Rico as its final destination.

Flight tracking data shows the jet took off from San Juan at 12:11 UTC on Sunday, arriving in La Romana at 12:49 UTC.

The next flight to Austin, Texas, departed at 19:30 UTC. The flight crew reported a problem and declared an emergency shortly after takeoff.

The Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation said the plane declared an emergency about 30 kilometers (16 nautical miles) southwest of La Romana.

The IDAC released a statement outlining the initial response: “The U.S.-registered aircraft, registered to an executive aviation company, had its two crew members on board: the pilot and co-pilot. No passengers were reported. The aeronautical authorities activated the corresponding protocols and are conducting onsite investigations to determine the causes of the incident.”

The pilot attempted to return to the airport after reporting the problem.

The plane circled over the eastern Dominican Republic for about 40 minutes before crashing at 20:11 UTC during an emergency landing attempt, and subsequently bursting into flames.

Video footage from the scene showed large flames and thick smoke after the impact.

The video shows the Gulfstream jet skidding down the runway on its tailwheel, then bouncing violently and exploding in a towering orange fireball.

“The crew declared an in-flight emergency shortly after takeoff; the aircraft crashed while attempting to land back at La Romana Airport, veering off the runway. Tragically, both occupants lost their lives,” the airport said.

Airport workers on the ground witnessed the tragic event.