During an emergency landing in Costa Rica, a cargo plane went off the runway and split in half, momentarily closing down an airport but causing no injuries to the crew.

According to fire department authorities, the Boeing 757-200, operated by freight carrier DHL, took off from the Juan Santamara international airport just west of San Jose on Thursday morning but returned when pilots noticed a hydraulic system problem.

According to fire department head Héctor Chaves, when the jet attempted to land, it slid, flipped, and split in half, exposing its cargo.

Mr Chaves stated that “units were mobilized to remove the pilot and co-pilot.” The event caused the airport to close for many hours, affecting around 8,500 passengers and 57 commercial and cargo planes, according to airport operator Aeris.

According to Luis Miranda, Costa Rica’s deputy director of civil aviation, the jet was only about 55 kilometers from the airport when it asked permission to return from its scheduled journey to Guatemala City.

He stated that the captain and co-pilot were the only crew members on board the plane, which had only roughly two and a half hours of fuel.

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According to a DHL representative, both pilots were uninjured, although one was given a medical check as a precaution, indicating that there was no death recorded.